Back to the College Football Uniforms
Stanford has brought out some bold looks in recent years during the uniform era including an all-black get up against Wake Forest in 2010 for the first time in the program’s 120-year history. The following season during Nike’s 2011 Pro Combat campaign, Stanford donned rich all-Cardinal — more like blood-red — uniforms with black accents and a matte black helmet.
Stanford has worn its primary colors — Cardinal and White — at home and an inverted look on the road for decades. Nike recently dropped Stanford’s contrasting neckline and sleeve cuffs for a more classic look.
Stanford adopted its “Cardinal” nickname in 1981 after 40 years of being known as the Indians. Since Stanford’s corresponds to a color, the program doesn’t have a mascot. Nike has tried to incorporate a different shade of red, more vibrant cardinal, into Stanford’s uniforms in recent years.
The Cardinals have donned white shells since, according to our research, the early 1960s. Stanford’s cardinal “S” decal first appeared in the 70s and was later increased to its current size in 1980.
Black was added as an unofficial third color in 2002 to uniforms as accents and a stripe on the helmet. Currently, Stanford usually dons cardinal tops and white pants at home with white tops and white pants on the road. Each set of pants has contrasting stripes. Stanford has worn cardinal pants with black and white stripes as a road alternate, a clean look.
