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Stanford Cardinal

October 13th, 2010 admin No comments

Stanford Cardinal
Stanford's Nickname?

Why are they called the Stanford Cardinal instead of Cardinals?

Josh is correct. They are named for the color.
From Stanford website, history of name and mascot:

The Nickname: The nickname for Stanford is the Cardinal – in reference to one of the school colors (and is therefore in the singular). Stanford’s history with its nickname began on March 19, 1891 when Stanford beat Cal in the first Big Game. While Stanford did not have an official nickname, the day after the Big Game local newspapers picked up the "cardinal" theme and used it in the headlines.

The Mascot: There is no official mascot at Stanford University. The "Tree," which is a member of the Stanford Band, is representative of El Palo Alto, the Redwood tree which is the logo of the city of Palo Alto. Since Stanford University and Palo Alto are almost inextricably intertwined in interests and location, it is a natural outgrowth of this relationship. The tree still exists and stands by the railroad bridge beside San Francisquito Creek – it is the site where early explorers first camped when settling the area.

The Color: When Stanford first accepted students in 1891, the student body actually voted for gold as the school’s official color, but another student assembly chose Cardinal as the school color. A few days after the vote, local sportswriters picked up the "Cardinal" theme after Stanford defeated Cal in the first Big Game (March 19, 1891). The headlines read, "Cardinal Triumphs O’er Blue and Gold."