Cal logo		Stanford logo

The Big Game is the annual football game between Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley (known simply as "Cal"), held in late November or early December. The first Big Game was held in March 19, 1892 on San Francisco's Haight Street grounds when Stanford beat Cal 14-10. It is the tenth longest rivalry in NCAA Division 1A football. Stanford leads the series record at 56-44-11 (wins-losses-ties). Stanford won the most recent (2007) Big Game, after a series of five wins by Cal (2002-2006). The location of the game alternates between the two schools each year. In even numbered years, the game is played at Berkeley; in odd numbered years, at Stanford. The Big Game is the annual football game between Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley (known simply as California or Cal), held in November. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... Stanford redirects here. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... San Francisco redirects here. ... Haight Street Grounds was one of San Franciscos earliest baseball parks. ... A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. ... A college football game between Colorado State University and the Air Force Academy. ...

In the week before the game, both schools celebrate the occasion with rallies, reunions and luncheons. Cal students hold a traditional pep rally and bonfire at the Greek Theatre on the eve of the game, while Stanford students stage the Gaieties, a theatrical production that both celebrates and pokes fun at the rivalry. The week also includes various other athletic events including The Big Splash (water polo) and The Big Freeze (ice hockey). The overall athletic rivalry between the schools has been solidifed into The Lexus Gauntlet, an annual award given to the school winning the most rivalries and championships under a point system. The Big Game is the annual football game between Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley (known simply as California or Cal), held in November. ... Sign at the front entrance to the Greek Theatre The William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, known locally as simply the Greek Theatre, is an 8,500-seat amphitheater owned and operated by the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, California, USA. The Greek Theatre hosts pop, rock, and world music... Water polo is a team water sport. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ...

History

The Big Game is the biggest college football event in the Bay Area, and has a rich history. Future U.S. President Herbert Hoover was the Stanford team manager for the first Big Game, held in 1892. The term "Big Game" was first used in 1900, which also saw the most tragic event to happen at a Big Game. The match that year was played in San Francisco. A large group of spectators observing from the roof of the nearby S.F. and Pacific Glass Works fell into the fiery interior of the building when the roof collapsed. Thirteen died and 78 were injured[1]. The first-ever card stunts were performed at the halftime of the 1910 Big Game. Since 1933, the victor of the game has been granted possession of the Stanford Axe. If the game ended in a tie, the Axe stayed on the side that already possessed it; however, college football games can no longer end in ties. The Axe is a key part of the rich history, having been stolen on several occasions by both sides, starting at the very first Big Game. Bay Area redirects here. ... Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964), the thirty-first President of the United States (1929–1933), was a world-famous mining engineer and humanitarian administrator. ... Large card stunt performed at the 2004 Rose Bowl Game, note instruction on screen Card stunts are a pre-planned, coordinated sequence of actions performed by an audience where they raise cards that, in the aggregate, create a recognizable image. ... The Stanford Axe is a trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Big Game between the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University. ...

The Big Game has produced several cliffhangers, where the outcome of the game was decided on the final play. In 1972, a Vince Ferragamo touchdown pass to Steve Sweeney resulted in a last second Cal victory, while Mike Langford nailed a 50 yard field goal on the final play for a 22-20 Stanford triumph in 1974. Stanford's Tuan Van Le blocked a 21 yard Cal field goal attempt to preserve a 19-19 tie in 1988. In 1990, Stanford snatched victory in the final 12 seconds by scoring a touchdown, recovering an onside kick, and kicking a field goal. In 2000, Stanford's Casey Moore caught the winning touchdown on the final play of the first-ever Big Game to go into overtime. For other uses, see Cliffhanger (disambiguation). ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Vince Anthony Ferragamo (born April 24, 1954 in Torrance, California) was an American football quarterback from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... A field goal (formerly goal from the field) in American football and Canadian football (collectively called gridiron football) is a goal that may be scored during general play (from the field). Execution of a field goal A field goal may be scored by a placekick or the very rare drop... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours; these may be determined in several ways, by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), by practices of a given trade or profession, by legislation, or by agreement between employers and workers or their representatives. ...

However, the conclusion of the 85th Big Game on November 20, 1982 would go down as perhaps the greatest play in college football history. Cal held a lead late in the game, but Stanford, led by John Elway, drove down the field to retake the lead and seemingly elevating Elway to the first Bowl Game of his college career (as Stanford, with a victory, would likely been invited to the Hall of Fame Bowl). More importantly, Elway, with a victory, might well have won the Heisman Trophy. In what is now known simply as "The Play", four Cal players lateraled the ball five times on a kickoff return with four seconds left on the clock. The final ballcarrier, Kevin Moen, who was also the initial ballcarrier, ran for a touchdown through the Stanford Band, which had run onto the field to celebrate prematurely (although the game clock had run out of time, in football the final play is allowed to be completed), knocking down the final Stanford defender, trombone player Gary Tyrrell. The Play is often recounted with KGO radio announcer Joe Starkey's emotional call of The Play, which he hailed as "the most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heartrending, exciting, thrilling finish in the history of college football!" The legitimacy of The Play has remained controversial among some Stanford fans. To this day, the final score in the official record shows Cal winning by a score of 25-20, whereas in many Stanford publications it is recorded as Stanford 20, Cal 19. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... John Albert Elway, Jr. ... Outback Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. ... The Play refers to a last-second kickoff return during a college football game between the University of California, Berkeley (California or Cal) Golden Bears and the Stanford University Cardinal on November 20, 1982. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... KGO-AM is an ABC/Disney owned radio station operating out of San Francisco, CA. It operates on 810 khz with 50,000 watts of power, permitting it to be heard throughout the western United States and beyond. ... Joe Starkey. ...

Naming rights

In March 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the NFL intended to trademark the phrase "The Big Game" in reference to the Super Bowl.^[1] In May 2007, the NFL gave up trying to trademark the phrase, after being faced with opposition from Cal and Stanford.² NFL logo For other uses of the abbreviation NFL, see NFL (disambiguation). ... The winning Super Bowl team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy. ...

Big Game Results

Rally Committee running Cal flags across the field at Memorial Stadium during the 2002 Big Game. (Note the Stanford visitors section on the left and the Cal alumni section on the right.)

Big Game 2004

Big Game 1969

Big Game 1955

Big Game 1938

Big Game 1936

(away team listed first, winning team bolded) Out of the 110 games played, Stanford holds a 55-44-11 lead. Cumulatively, Stanford has outscored California with 1,742 points to Cal's 1,710 points. Rally Committee flags at the 2002 Berkeley-Stanford Big Game. ... Rally Committee flags at the 2002 Berkeley-Stanford Big Game. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 2853 KB) Summary Photo taken by Poppy in November 2004. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 2853 KB) Summary Photo taken by Poppy in November 2004. ... Image File history File links Stanford-Cal_game_1969. ... Image File history File links Stanford-Cal_game_1969. ... Image File history File links Stanford-Cal_game_1955. ... Image File history File links Stanford-Cal_game_1955. ... Image File history File links Stanford-Cal_game_1938. ... Image File history File links Stanford-Cal_game_1938. ... Image File history File links Stanford-Cal_game_1936. ... Image File history File links Stanford-Cal_game_1936. ... Having no offical mascot, the athletic teams at Stanford University are referred to as Stanford Cardinal. ... Cal Logo The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 27 varsity athletic programs of the University of California, Berkeley. ...

• 2007 California 13, Stanford 20
• 2006 Stanford 17, California 26
• 2005 California 27, Stanford 3
• 2004 Stanford 6, California 41
• 2003 California 28, Stanford 16
• 2002 Stanford 7, California 30
• 2001 California 28, Stanford 35
• 2000 Stanford 36, California 30 (overtime)
• 1999 California 13, Stanford 31
• 1998 Stanford 10, California 3
• 1997 California 20, Stanford 21
• 1996 Stanford 42, California 21
• 1995 California 24, Stanford 29
• 1994 Stanford 23, California 24
• 1993 California 46, Stanford 17
• 1992 Stanford 41, California 21
• 1991 California 21, Stanford 38
• 1990 Stanford 27, California 25
• 1989 California 14, Stanford 24
• 1988 Stanford 19, California 19 (tie)
• 1987 California 7, Stanford 31
• 1986 Stanford 11, California 17
• 1985 California 22, Stanford 24
• 1984 Stanford 27, California 10
• 1983 California 27, Stanford 18
• 1982 Stanford 20, California 25 (see The Play)
• 1981 California 21, Stanford 42
• 1980 Stanford 23, California 28
• 1979 California 21, Stanford 14
• 1978 Stanford 30, California 10
• 1977 California 3, Stanford 21
• 1976 Stanford 27, California 24
• 1975 California 48, Stanford 15
• 1974 Stanford 22, California 20
• 1973 California 17, Stanford 26
• 1972 Stanford 21, California 24
• 1971 California 0, Stanford 14
• 1970 Stanford 14, California 22
• 1969 California 28, Stanford 29
• 1968 Stanford 20, California 0
• 1967 California 26, Stanford 3
• 1966 Stanford 13, California 7
• 1965 California 7, Stanford 9
• 1964 Stanford 21, California 3
• 1963 California 17, Stanford 28
• 1962 Stanford 30, California 13
• 1961 California 7, Stanford 20
• 1960 Stanford 10, California 21
• 1959 California 20, Stanford 17
• 1958 Stanford 15, California 16
• 1957 California 12, Stanford 14
• 1956 Stanford 18, California 20
• 1955 California 0, Stanford 19
• 1954 Stanford 20, California 28
• 1953 California 21, Stanford 21 (tie)
• 1952 Stanford 0, California 26
• 1951 California 20, Stanford 7
• 1950 Stanford 7, California 7 (tie)
• 1949 California 33, Stanford 14
• 1948 Stanford 6, California 7
• 1947 California 21, Stanford 18
• 1946 Stanford 25, California 6
• 1945 No Game -- World War II
• 1944 No Game -- World War II
• 1943 No Game -- World War II
• 1942 Stanford 26, California 7
• 1941 California 16, Stanford 0
• 1940 Stanford 13, California 7
• 1939 California 32, Stanford 14
• 1938 Stanford 0, California 6
• 1937 California 13, Stanford 0
• 1936 Stanford 0, California 20
• 1935 California 0, Stanford 13
• 1934 Stanford 9, California 7
• 1933 California 3, Stanford 7
• 1932 Stanford 0, California 0 (tie)
• 1931 California 6, Stanford 0
• 1930 Stanford 41, California 0
• 1929 California 6, Stanford 21
• 1928 Stanford 13, California 13 (tie)
• 1927 California 6, Stanford 13
• 1926 Stanford 41, California 6
• 1925 California 14, Stanford 27
• 1924 Stanford 20, California 20 (tie)
• 1923 Stanford 0, California 9
• 1922 California 28, Stanford 0
• 1921 California 42, Stanford 7
• 1920 Stanford 7, California 38
• 1919 California 14, Stanford 10
• 1918 (unofficial) Stanford 0, California 67 - Stanford's Student Army Training Corps (SATC) team
• 1917 No Game -- World War I
• 1916 No Game -- World War I
• 1915 No Game -- World War I
• 1914 (Rugby) Stanford 26, California 8
• 1913 (Rugby) California 8, Stanford 13
• 1912 (Rugby) Stanford 3, California 3 (tie)
• 1911 (Rugby) California 21, Stanford 3
• 1910 (Rugby) Stanford 6, California 25
• 1909 (Rugby) California 19, Stanford 13
• 1908 (Rugby) Stanford 12, California 3
• 1907 (Rugby) California 11, Stanford 21
• 1906 (Rugby) Stanford 6, California 3
• 1905 California 5, Stanford 12
• 1904 Stanford 18, California 0
• 1903 (at San Francisco) California 6, Stanford 6 (tie)
• 1902 (at San Francisco) Stanford 0, California 16
• 1901 (at San Francisco) California 2, Stanford 0
• 1900 (at San Francisco) Stanford 5, California 0
• 1899 (at San Francisco) California 30, Stanford 0
• 1898 (at San Francisco) Stanford 0, California 22
• 1897 (at San Francisco) California 0, Stanford 28
• 1896 (at San Francisco) Stanford 20, California 0
• 1895 (at San Francisco) California 6, Stanford 6 (tie)
• 1894 (at San Francisco) Stanford 6, California 0
• 1893 (at San Francisco) California 6, Stanford 6 (tie)
• 1892 (at San Francisco) Stanford 10, California 10 (tie)
• 1892-Spring (at San Francisco) California 10, Stanford 14

The Play refers to a last-second kickoff return during a college football game between the University of California, Berkeley (California or Cal) Golden Bears and the Stanford University Cardinal on November 20, 1982. ... The Play refers to a last-second kickoff return during a college football game between the University of California, Berkeley (California or Cal) Golden Bears and the Stanford University Cardinal on November 20, 1982. ...

Cal Bonfire Rally

The Cal Bonfire Rally is a pep and bonfire rally that takes place at University of California in Hearst Greek Theatre on the eve of the Big Game. Many students gather to hear the history about the The Stanford Axe and the Big Game. Several alumni show up to perform traditional rituals. One of those rituals is unique to any college in the US. A Cal alum comes onto the stage and does a Maori "Haka" or a war dance/chant that was originally used by the Maori warriors against their foes. The Haka performed is the Haka made famous by the New Zealand Rugby Team the "All Blacks" called Kamate. Throughout, a big bonfire lights up the theatre setting temperatures sky high.^{[citation needed]} Sign at the front entrance to the Greek Theatre The William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, known locally as simply the Greek Theatre, is an 8,500-seat amphitheater owned and operated by the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, California, USA. The Greek Theatre hosts pop, rock, and world music... The Stanford Axe is a trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Big Game between the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University. ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Scenes for the Harold Lloyd silent classic The Freshman were filmed at California Memorial Stadium during halftime of the 1924 Big Game.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Harold Clayton Lloyd (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American film actor and director, most famous for his silent comedies. ... The Freshman is a 1925 comedy film that tells the story of a nerdy college freshman trying to become popular by joining the school football team. ... Officially named California Memorial Stadium, Memorial Stadium is the current home for Cal football. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Big Game

• The Play
• The Stanford Axe

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Play refers to a last-second kickoff return during a college football game between the University of California, Berkeley (California or Cal) Golden Bears and the Stanford University Cardinal on November 20, 1982. ... The Stanford Axe is a trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Big Game between the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University. ... The Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States. ... The Victory Bell (UCLA-USC) is an annual trophy given to either the University of Southern California or the University of California, Los Angeles. ... The Trojan Shrine, better known as Tommy Trojan located in the center of University of Southern California campus. ... The University of California, Los Angeles (generally known as UCLA) is a public research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. ... The Civil War is the colloquial name for the annual college football game in the U.S. state of Oregon between the Oregon State Beavers and the Oregon Ducks. ... Oregon State University (OSU) is a four-year research and degree-granting public university, located in Corvallis, Oregon (USA). ... The University of Oregon is a public university located in Eugene, Oregon. ... Sather tower (the Campanile) looking out over the San Francisco Bay and Mount Tamalpais. ... Stanford redirects here. ... The Apple Cup is the annual college football game between cross-state rivals the University of Washington (UW) and Washington State University (WSU), the two largest universities in the state of Washington. ... Washington State University (WSU) is a major public research university in Pullman, Washington. ... The University of Washington, founded in 1861, is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. ... The Territorial Cup is a trophy that is awarded annually to the winner of the college football game between the Arizona State University (ASU) Sun Devils and the University of Arizona (UA) Wildcats and has also served as the symbol of the long standing rivalry between the two schools. ... Arizona State University (ASU) is a public research institution of higher education and research with campuses located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. ... The University of Arizona (UA or U of A) is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. ...

References

External links

• Big Game scores
• Stanford Magazine feature on Big Game
• The Play
• Transcript of Joe Starkey's call of the Play
• Discussion about the filming of 1925 film, The Freshman at the Big Game
• Stanford Daily article on the history of Big Game