The Stanford Axe Trophy has a long history in the world of college football. This trophy is presented to the winners of the California-Stanford rivalry, also known as “The Big Game”. These teams are the California Golden Bears of the University of California, Berkeley and the Stanford Cardinal of Stanford University. Both teams belong to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level and are also members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The two teams have faced off against each other for 131 times, after first coming face to face in 1892.
What is name of the rivalry between Stanford Cardinal and California Golden Bears?
The Stanford Axe Trophy is known as the prize for the winners of the rivalry between the Stanford Cardinal and the California Golden Bears.
The Stanford Axe was first introduced in 1899 , when it was just a simple woodman’s blade. However, it was stolen by students from California two days later, which led to violence and police search for the object. Fortunately, students from Stanford recovered the axe in 1930 from Berkeley while posing as news photographers and kept the axe at a bank in Palo Alto for safekeeping. These students became known as the “Immortal 21”. This was followed by a lot of high-level negotiations and finally in 1933, both colleges decided to use the axe as the trophy for the rivalry. Since then, the Stanford Axe is presented as the award to the winners of The Big Game every year.The trophy is mounted on a wooden plaque along with a brass panel that displays the scores of all the previous Big Games. Notably, the winning team keeps the Stanford Axe trophy in a secured location till the next year.
The Stanford Axe Trophy Winners Year by Year
The California Golden Bears and the Stanford Cardinal have continued their rivalries for 131 years since March 19, 1892. In that first encounter, the Stanford Cardinal won 14-10 against the California Golden Bears. However, the California Golden Bears got their first taste of victory when they defeated the Stanford Cardinal 22-0 on November 24, 1898. Since then, both these teams have carried on one-upping each other till the present day. Stanford also became the first recipients of the Stanford Axe Trophy, when it was first awarded in 1933 while California got their share of the trophy in 1936. More recently, it is Stanford who has maintained a lead against their rivals with a record of 66-54-11. The following table displays the winners of the Stanford Axe Trophy from 1933 to 2024, while also showcasing all the results of The Big Games over the years -
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 1 | March 19, 1892 | San Francisco | Stanford | 14–10 |
| 2 | December 17, 1892 | San Francisco | Tie | 10–10 |
| 3 | November 30, 1893 | San Francisco | Tie | 6–6 |
| 4 | November 29, 1894 | San Francisco | Stanford | 6–0 |
| 5 | November 29, 1895 | San Francisco | Tie | 6–6 |
| 6 | November 26, 1896 | San Francisco | Stanford | 20–0 |
| 7 | November 25, 1897 | San Francisco | Stanford | 28–0 |
| 8 | November 24, 1898 | San Francisco | California | 22–0 |
| 9 | November 30, 1899 | San Francisco | California | 30–0 |
| 10 | November 29, 1900 | San Francisco | Stanford | 5–0 |
| 11 | November 9, 1901 | San Francisco | California | 2–0 |
| 12 | November 8, 1902 | San Francisco | California | 16–0 |
| 13 | November 14, 1903 | San Francisco | Tie | 6–6 |
| 14 | November 12, 1904 | Berkeley | Stanford | 18–0 |
| 15 | November 11, 1905 | Stanford | Stanford | 12–5 |
| 16 | November 10, 1906 | Berkeley | Stanford | 6–3 |
| 17 | November 9, 1907 | Stanford | Stanford | 21–11 |
| 18 | November 14, 1908 | Berkeley | Stanford | 12–3 |
| 19 | November 13, 1909 | Stanford | California | 19–13 |
| 20 | November 12, 1910 | Berkeley | California | 25–6 |
| 21 | November 11, 1911 | Stanford | California | 21–3 |
| 22 | November 11, 1912 | Berkeley | Tie | 3–3 |
| 23 | November 8, 1913 | Stanford | Stanford | 13–8 |
| 24 | November 14, 1914 | Berkeley | Stanford | 26–8 |
| 25 | November 13, 1915 | Stanford | Stanford | 17–4 |
| 26 | November 11, 1916 | Berkeley | California | 25–14 |
| 27 | November 8, 1917 | Stanford | California | 14–7 |
| 28 | November 23, 1918 | Berkeley | California | 19–5 |
| 29 | November 22, 1919 | Stanford | California | 14–10 |
| 30 | November 20, 1920 | Berkeley | California | 38–0 |
| 31 | November 19, 1921 | Stanford | California | 42–7 |
| 32 | November 25, 1922 | Stanford | California | 28–0 |
| 33 | November 24, 1923 | Berkeley | California | 9–0 |
| 34 | November 22, 1924 | Berkeley | Tie | 20–20 |
| 35 | November 21, 1925 | Stanford | Stanford | 27–14 |
| 36 | November 20, 1926 | Berkeley | Stanford | 41–6 |
| 37 | November 19, 1927 | Stanford | Stanford | 13–6 |
| 38 | November 24, 1928 | Berkeley | Tie | 13–13 |
| 39 | November 23, 1929 | Stanford | Stanford | 21–6 |
| 40 | November 22, 1930 | Berkeley | Stanford | 41–0 |
| 41 | November 21, 1931 | Stanford | California | 6–0 |
| 42 | November 19, 1932 | Berkeley | Tie | 0–0 |
| 43 | November 25, 1933 | Stanford | Stanford | 7–3 |
| 44 | November 24, 1934 | Berkeley | Stanford | 9–7 |
| 45 | November 23, 1935 | Stanford | Stanford | 13–0 |
| 46 | November 21, 1936 | Berkeley | California | 20–0 |
| 47 | November 20, 1937 | Stanford | #2 California | 13–0 |
| 48 | November 19, 1938 | Berkeley | #9 California | 6–0 |
| 49 | November 25, 1939 | Stanford | California | 32–14 |
| 50 | November 30, 1940 | Berkeley | #3 Stanford | 13–7 |
| 51 | November 29, 1941 | Stanford | California | 16–0 |
| 52 | November 21, 1942 | Berkeley | Stanford | 26–7 |
| 53 | November 23, 19463 | Berkeley | Stanford | 25–6 |
| 54 | November 22, 1947 | Stanford | #9 California | 21–18 |
| 55 | November 20, 1948 | Berkeley | #4 California | 7–6 |
| 56 | November 19, 1949 | Stanford | #3 California | 33–14 |
| 57 | November 25, 1950 | Berkeley | Tie | 7–7 |
| 58 | November 24, 1951 | Stanford | #19 California | 20–7 |
| 59 | November 22, 1952 | Berkeley | California | 26–0 |
| 60 | November 21, 1953 | Stanford | Tie | 21–21 |
| 61 | November 20, 1954 | Berkeley | California | 28–20 |
| 62 | November 19, 1955 | Stanford | #18 Stanford | 19–0 |
| 63 | November 24, 1956 | Berkeley | California | 20–18 |
| 64 | November 23, 1957 | Stanford | Stanford | 14–12 |
| 65 | November 22, 1958 | Berkeley | California | 16–15 |
| 66 | November 21, 1959 | Stanford | #19 California | 20–17 |
| 67 | November 19, 1960 | Berkeley | California | 21–10 |
| 68 | November 25, 1961 | Stanford | Stanford | 20–7 |
| 69 | November 24, 1962 | Berkeley | Stanford | 30–13 |
| 70 | November 30, 1963 | Stanford | Stanford | 28–17 |
| 71 | November 21, 1964 | Berkeley | Stanford | 21–3 |
| 72 | November 20, 1965 | Stanford | Stanford | 9–7 |
| 73 | November 19, 1966 | Berkeley | Stanford | 13–7 |
| 74 | November 18, 1967 | Stanford | California | 26–3 |
| 75 | November 23, 1968 | Berkeley | Stanford | 20–0 |
| 76 | November 22, 1969 | Stanford | #14 Stanford | 29–28 |
| 77 | November 21, 1970 | Berkeley | California | 22–14 |
| 78 | November 20, 1971 | Stanford | #18 Stanford | 14–0 |
| 79 | November 18, 1972 | Berkeley | California | 24–21 |
| 80 | November 24, 1973 | Stanford | Stanford | 26–17 |
| 81 | November 23, 1974 | Berkeley | Stanford | 22–20 |
| 82 | November 22, 1975 | Stanford | #13 California | 48–15 |
| 83 | November 20, 1976 | Berkeley | Stanford | 27–24 |
| 84 | November 19, 1977 | Stanford | Stanford | 21–3 |
| 85 | November 18, 1978 | Berkeley | Stanford | 30–10 |
| 86 | November 17, 1979 | Stanford | California | 21–14 |
| 87 | November 22, 1980 | Berkeley | California | 28–23 |
| 88 | November 21, 1981 | Stanford | Stanford | 42–21 |
| 89 | November 20, 1982 | Berkeley | California | 25–20 |
| 90 | November 19, 1983 | Stanford | California | 27–18 |
| 91 | November 17, 1984 | Berkeley | Stanford | 27–10 |
| 92 | November 23, 1985 | Stanford | Stanford | 24–22 |
| 93 | November 22, 1986 | Berkeley | California | 17–11 |
| 94 | November 21, 1987 | Stanford | Stanford | 31–7 |
| 95 | November 19, 1988 | Berkeley | Tie | 19–19 |
| 96 | November 18, 1989 | Stanford | Stanford | 24–17 |
| 97 | November 17, 1990 | Berkeley | Stanford | 27–25 |
| 98 | November 23, 1991 | Stanford | #21 Stanford | 38–21 |
| 99 | November 21, 1992 | Berkeley | #14 Stanford | 41–21 |
| 100 | November 20, 1993 | Stanford | California | 46–17 |
| 101 | November 19, 1994 | Berkeley | California | 24–23 |
| 102 | November 18, 1995 | Stanford | Stanford | 29–24 |
| 103 | November 23, 1996 | Berkeley | Stanford | 42–21 |
| 104 | November 22, 1997 | Stanford | Stanford | 21–20 |
| 105 | November 21, 1998 | Berkeley | Stanford | 10–3 |
| 106 | November 20, 1999 | Stanford | Stanford | 31–13 |
| 107 | November 18, 2000 | Berkeley | Stanford | 36–30OT |
| 108 | November 17, 2001 | Stanford | #13 Stanford | 35–28 |
| 109 | November 23, 2002 | Berkeley | California | 30–7 |
| 110 | November 22, 2003 | Stanford | California | 28–16 |
| 111 | November 20, 2004 | Berkeley | #4 California | 41–6 |
| 112 | November 19, 2005 | Stanford | California | 27–3 |
| 113 | December 2, 2006 | Berkeley | #21 California | 26–17 |
| 114 | December 1, 2007 | Stanford | Stanford | 20–13 |
| 115 | November 22, 2008 | Berkeley | California | 37–16 |
| 116 | November 21, 2009 | Stanford | California | 34–28 |
| 117 | November 20, 2010 | Berkeley | #7 Stanford | 48–14 |
| 118 | November 19, 2011 | Stanford | #8 Stanford | 31–28 |
| 119 | October 20, 2012 | Berkeley | #22 Stanford | 21–3 |
| 120 | November 23, 2013 | Stanford | #10 Stanford | 63–13 |
| 121 | November 22, 2014 | Berkeley | Stanford | 38–17 |
| 122 | November 21, 2015 | Stanford | #15 Stanford | 35–22 |
| 123 | November 19, 2016 | Berkeley | Stanford | 45–31 |
| 124 | November 18, 2017 | Stanford | #22 Stanford | 17–14 |
| 125 | December 1, 2018 | Berkeley | Stanford | 23–13 |
| 126 | November 23, 2019 | Stanford | California | 24–20 |
| 127 | November 27, 2020 | Berkeley | Stanford | 24–23 |
| 128 | November 20, 2021 | Stanford | California | 41–11 |
| 129 | November 19, 2022 | Berkeley | California | 27–20 |
| 130 | November 18, 2023 | Stanford | California | 27–15 |
| 131 | November 23, 2024 | Berkeley | California | 24–21 |
FAQs on The Stanford Axe Trophy Winners
A. Stanford has won 66 Big Games as of 2024.
A. The California Golden Bears are the biggest rival of the Stanford Cardinal.
A. The California-Stanford rivalry is the history of the AXE Big Game.
A. Yes, the Stanford Cardinal won the college football national championship twice in 1926 and 1940.
A. California won the Big Game between Stanford and California in 2024.
