Stanford Softball Eyeing NCAA Attendance Record in Rivalry Game Against Cal

The Cardinal do not face Cal until April but want to make sure that anyone and everybody is in attendance

Jun 3, 2024; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Stanford Cardinals head coach Jessica Allister looks back at the scoreboard as Texas Longhorns players celebrate after defeating Stanford 1-0 in a Women's College World Series softball semifinal game at Devon Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

ACC play kicks off this weekend for Stanford softball with a series against Syracuse, but that also means that a matchup against Cal is coming ever closer. The first time that Cal and Stanford meet this season is not until April but that gives plenty of time for fans to wait in anticipation.

Since it's a rivalry game, the Cardinal will want everybody there which led to them announcing their intentions to break the NCAA softball attendance record.

As things stand right now, Stanford is sitting at 14-3 overall, with a pair of those losses coming against No. 4 Arizona, with the third coming against No. 21 Georgia Tech. The Cardinal are 2-1 in conference play. The Golden Bears are 16-4 this season, and have yet to play an in-conference game. They are also unranked, while Stanford is at No. 16.

In what is dubbed The Big Swing Series, the Cardinal program is looking to set the record on Saturday, April 19, opening the upper deck inside Stanford Stadium hoping to surpass the previous record of 12,566 set in the opening game of last year's Women's College World Series on May 30, 2024.

The regular season attendance record of 8,930 was set on March 31, 2023, when Oklahoma hosted Texas.

In opening the upper deck, around 6,700 more seats become available for the game, allowing for the bigger crowd to be accommodated. In choosing the weekend series against Cal, all Bay Area softball fans will have the chance to be a part of the history.

The Big Swing is just one of the many promotional events that the softball program has scheduled for this season. The first one will be this Friday, where a 2025 magnet schedule will be the giveaway. For the Sunday game this weekend, the first 750 fans will receive Cardinal and white pom poms as part of Youth Day.

On Saturday, April 5, fans can bring their dogs to the game while the promos wrap up with Fan Appreciation Day on Saturday, April 26 against Virginnia, with Senior Day taking place on that Sunday.

Tickets for the Cal series are already available, with prices starting at around $15.

This weekend will be a big test for the Cardinal, who are undefeated at home, as they look to continue a strong start to the season against a tough Syracuse squad. First pitch for game one is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. (PT), game two is slated to begin at 2 p.m. (PT) on Saturday, and game three on Sunday will begin at noon. All the action will air on the ACC Network.