Stanford Cardinal softball is set for a packed 2026 campaign, playing 51 games overall and opening its new era at Stanford Softball Stadium, where 34 matchups will be played. Coming off a 42-13 season and a 16-8 ACC record in their inaugural year in the conference, the Cardinal hope to return with momentum, and the 2026 schedule is built to test it. Stanford will face six teams ranked in the 2025 NCAA Coaches Poll top 25, setting the stage for a seventh-consecutive post-season push.
The season opens at home with the Stanford Invitational from Feb. 5-8, welcoming Oklahoma State, Fresno State and UC Berkeley. The Cardinal stay home the following week for Cardinal Classic I (Feb. 12-15), squaring off against Kentucky, Oregon, Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly.
Another high-profile home stretch follows in the DeMarini Invitational (Feb. 19-22), as Stanford hosts Arizona, reigning national champion Texas (which Stanford upset 9-5 last season), Boise State and Santa Clara in what may be the toughest early test of the season.
Conference play begins on the road with a three-game series at Louisville from Feb. 27 to March 1 before the Cardinal return home to face Pitt (March 6-8) and Notre Dame (March 12-15). Stanford then heads east to take on North Carolina in Chapel Hill from March 20-22.
After a brief non-conference matchup against East Carolina on March 25, the Cardinal dive back into ACC play with a three-game series at Duke from March 27-29 in an attempt to redeem their 0-7 loss to the Blue Devils last season.
Stanford returns home for their final tournament of the season at the Cardinal Classic II from April 2-4, hosting Washington and St. Mary’s (CA), before traveling to UC Davis for a midweek matchup. ACC competition ramps up again with Florida State visiting Stanford from April 10-12, followed by a road game at Fresno State on April 15.
The Cardinal then host North Carolina before heading to Santa Clara on April 22 and renewing their rivalry with Cal in a three-game series from April 24-26, with the location yet to be determined. Stanford closes the regular season at home against Pacific on April 20 and Sacramento State on May 1 for Senior Day.
The Cardinal’s postseason run begins at the ACC Championships, held May 6-9 in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Stanford will look to turn a challenging schedule into another deep playoff run.