The Stanford football program has received a $50 million gift from a former player, a significant donation as Stanford attempts to revive the fortunes of the football program under new general manager Andrew Luck.
It’s the biggest individual gift in Stanford football history. The size is an unusually large one for an individual program anywhere, as gifts this large are typically tied to buildings or facilities.
The donation comes from former Stanford football player Bradford M. Freeman, who graduated from the school in 1964 and has been a major donor to both the school and athletic department for decades.
The $50 million comes at a moment when Stanford football is attempting to play catch-up to the modern landscape, as they’ve gone 3-9 over the four seasons from 2021-24. Stanford is 2-3 this season under interim coach Frank Riech.
“With Brad’s incredible gift, we are positioned to win on the field and build a bridge to a sustainable future for Stanford football,” Luck said. “The ability to support our players through new scholarships and institutional NIL will reinforce Stanford as the preeminent place in the country to be a football scholar-athlete.”
The gift is an adrenaline shot to the tenure of Luck, who has been general manager since last November, with fundraising a key part of his task. It’s also a boost for new athletic director John Donahoe, who was hired in July.
Stanford is seeking a full-time coach, as both the program and Reich have made clear that he will not be the coach after this interim season. This gift is a marketing boost for the job, as it shows the availability of immediate resources and the power of untapping Stanford’s network.
Stanford will honor the gift by naming both a tunnel and gate at Stanford Stadium after Freeman, who has given a wide variety of gifts to both Stanford athletics and the university. In 1988, he endowed the nation’s first head coach position, as Stanford’s coach is the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football.
Freeman is also a former Trustee for the school who has served on numerous advisory boards. He co-founded Freeman Spogli & Co., a private equity investment firm. He credits his time at Stanford for impacting “the trajectory of my life” and hopes that it will help “herald a new era of excellence for Stanford football.”
Luck added: “I believe that Stanford has the opportunity to be a leading program in college football, and we are entirely motivated to field championship-caliber teams.”
