Stanford Soccer

Cagan Stadium is the kind of place where you can watch a national contender from the third row of an aluminum bleacher. It is small, open to the evening sky and surrounded by the shady lots of the athletics district. Stanford's women's team has turned it into one of the toughest places to play in college soccer. The men's team won three straight national titles here in the 2010s.

This page covers both programs, their history, the ACC years and the 2026 season, plus tickets, parking and food. For the wider picture of Stanford sports, see Stanford sports and game days.

Maloney Field at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium

The field was known simply as Maloney Field until 2007, when the Cagan name was added. Stanford Athletics lists a capacity of 2,000. The aluminum bleachers on the west side are general admission. The east side has an elevated reserved section of 416 chairback seats with a press box, added in a renovation finished in October 2011. That structure also holds the Leo Weinstein Field House, with locker rooms and public restrooms.

Earlier work in 1997 and 1998 added permanent west side seating, lights and a scoreboard. The natural grass field measures 115 by 75 yards. Stanford says the U.S. national teams, Mexico's women's national team and the San Jose Earthquakes have all used it as a practice field. Women's lacrosse plays here in spring. Even on a full night, no seat is far from the touchline, which is a big part of the appeal for families and for anyone used to watching pro soccer from the upper deck of a big stadium.

Women's soccer

Stanford's women first reached the NCAA tournament in 1990. The program took off in the late 2000s under Paul Ratcliffe, who holds the title of Knowles Family Director of Women's Soccer. Stanford reached the College Cup in 2008, lost the final in 2009 and 2010 and won its first title in 2011.

The ACC era

The move to the ACC put Stanford in college soccer's strongest league, with North Carolina, Duke, Notre Dame and Florida State. Stanford answered by reaching the College Cup in its first two ACC seasons. The 2025 team went 21 wins, 2 losses and 2 ties. It won the ACC tournament on November 9, 2025, beating Notre Dame on penalties after a 2 to 2 draw. It then won four NCAA games at Cagan and beat Duke 1 to 0 in the semifinals in Kansas City. Florida State won the final 1 to 0 on December 8, 2025.

The 2026 season

Through October 29, 2026, the women were 10 wins, 3 losses and 2 ties, with a 4, 3 and 1 record in the ACC. Home wins included UCLA, Georgetown, Wake Forest, Cal and NC State. The schedule on gostanford.com showed a home finale against Notre Dame on Sunday, November 1, at 1 p.m., followed by a trip to Boston College on November 5. The NCAA tournament starts in mid-November. Higher seeds host the early rounds.

Men's soccer

Stanford men's soccer goes back more than a century. Stanford Athletics lists University and Club Soccer League titles from 1915 to 1922. Its first NCAA tournament came in 1962 and it reached the College Cup final in 1998 and 2002. The peak came under Jeremy Gunn, the Knowles Family Director of Men's Soccer, whose teams won three straight NCAA titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Stanford Athletics lists 23 NCAA tournament appearances and seven Pac-12 titles, the last in 2020.

The ACC era

The ACC is just as deep for men's soccer, with recent national powers such as Clemson, SMU and North Carolina. Stanford made the NCAA tournament in both 2024 and 2025. The 2026 team won its first six regular season home games in August and September before conference play turned harder. Through October 30 it stood at 8 wins, 4 losses and 3 ties, 1, 4 and 3 in the ACC, after a 3 to 1 home loss to Cal. The schedule listed an ACC tournament first round game against Louisville on November 4, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Tickets

• Buying. Single match and season tickets for both teams are sold at tickets.gostanford.com. Service fees may apply online.
• At the gate. The Cagan ticket windows on the west side sell remaining tickets on game day.
• Who needs one. Every fan older than 24 months. Stanford students get in free to regular season matches with their Red Zone pass.
• Free nights. Stanford's August 2026 exhibition doubleheader against Pacific was listed as free admission. Watch for similar preseason games.
• Advance and phone sales. The main ticket office at Gate 2 of Stanford Stadium is open weekdays. Call 800-STANFORD with questions.

Prices vary by match and seat. The reserved chairbacks on the east side cost more than the west bleachers.

Match day tips

1. Look for doubleheaders. In late summer Stanford often pairs a women's match and a men's match on the same evening, so one trip covers two games.
2. Eat before or step out. Concessions are sold at the Sunken Diamond stand near the main entrance. You get a hand stamp to come back in.
3. No alcohol. It is not sold at Cagan and you cannot bring it in.
4. Pick your seat. The west bleachers are general admission and fill first for big matches. The east chairbacks are reserved and have backs.
5. Bring a layer. Night matches in October and November cool off quickly once the sun drops.

Parking and transit

Parking for soccer is free, according to Stanford Athletics. Use the Varsity Lot, reached from Nelson Road off Galvez Street north of Stanford Stadium, Lot 2 (El Camino Grove) just north of Cagan or the Track House Lot. Lot 2 is closed to soccer fans during home football game weeks. Our Stanford parking and transit guide has maps and payment rules for other lots.

Cagan is one of the easiest Stanford venues to reach on foot. From Palo Alto Caltrain station, walk about 20 minutes through the athletics area. The free Marguerite shuttle runs main lines on weekdays only. Nearby, Sunken Diamond and Stanford Stadium share the same lots.

Where to eat nearby

Town & Country Village sits across El Camino Real at Embarcadero Road, a short walk from Lot 2. Gott's Roadside, Boichik Bagels, Howie's Artisan Pizza, Sushi House and Telefèric Barcelona are among its restaurants. See our Town & Country food guide for the rest.

For more choice, downtown Palo Alto starts at the end of Palm Drive, about a mile away. Our guide to eating near Stanford sorts places by distance, from campus cafes to the restaurants at Stanford Shopping Center.

Frequently asked questions