With Tavita Pritchard leading a new era on The Farm, these matchups offer the Cardinal's clearest path to bowl eligibility
In just a few weeks, the Stanford Cardinal will open training camp and officially begin preparing for an important 2026 campaign for the program.
Stanford finished last season 4-8 after going 3-9 in the previous four seasons and urgency to win is at an all-time high. After bringing in a new head coach in Tavita Pritchard, the Cardinal start the new season on a mission and ready to show the ACC and the world what the new era of Stanford football will look like.
That said, the Cardinal face a very tough slate of games this season and could experience some growing pains early on. With the Cardinal needing to win five or six games at minimum to make a bowl game, this season will test the program in year one under Pritchard.
However, there are some games on the schedule that will end up being more winnable than others. Here are the four games that have the clearest path to a Stanford win in 2026.
Hawaii
The opening game on Stanford's schedule yet again, the Cardinal faced Hawaii on the road last season but left with a loss, narrowly falling 23-20. Stanford goes into this season after a full offseason with a permanent head coach, a new staff and scheme as well as a roster filled with new players.
All of these factors should have the Cardinal feeling rejuvenated and ready to go come kickoff on Saturday, August 29.
Beating Hawaii will not be an easy feat, especially with its program on the rise, but a Week 1 win can set the tone for the rest of the year and give the Cardinal the confidence they need moving forward.
Elon
Facing Elon for the first time ever, this game is definitely not one the Cardinal can overlook. But given that Elon is an FCS program, the odds should definitely be in Stanford's favor heading into this contest.
With the game scheduled for October 17, this one falls right in between the Notre Dame and NC State games, giving the Cardinal a chance to regroup, if needed.
No other game on the schedule is more favorable for Stanford than this one, so winning this game is an absolute must if the program wants to prove that it is on the right track.
Cal
The biggest game of the season every year, the Big Game did not disappoint in 2025, as it was a thriller for the Cardinal, who defeated Cal for the first time since 2020.
The Golden Bears will surely be looking for payback this season. Led by new head coach and alum Tosh Lupoi, this new-look Cal team is looking much better this time around. Facing them on the road always represents more of a challenge, but with Pritchard also being a former Cardinal, he'll get his program ready.
Stanford always makes games against Cal tough, even in down years, and in rivalry games like these, things can go either way. If the Cardinal play their best brand of football, and really lean into their pro-style approach, the Axe could stay on The Farm for another year.
Virginia Tech
The Hokies could very soon be among the top programs in college football. Led by new head coach James Franklin, who had a very successful 12-year tenure at Penn State, the Hokies enter 2026 very confident that they can experience a massive turnaround this season after going 3-9 last year.
As is the case with many programs entering a new era, growing pains are to be expected. With Franklin completely transforming Virginia Tech's football culture, year one may be when the Hokies are most vulnerable. The same could also be said about Pritchard and Stanford.
Virginia Tech visited Stanford back in 2024 in the Cardinal's first season in the ACC, and they walked away from The Farm with a 31-7 win.
This year's matchup will be on November 14 in Blacksburg, which adds another layer of intrigue to the contest. Both programs will be looking to get their footing under new head coaches, and with this game scheduled towards the end of the season, it could end up being a good litmus test for which program is ahead in its rebuild.
