Stanford football scores $50M donation from former player

Field Level Media|published: Wed 8th October, 11:17 2025

Oct 27, 2018; Stanford, CA, USA; General view of the Stanford Cardinal helmet during the first quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

A former Stanford football player has donated a record $50 million to the program, the school announced Wednesday.

The donation from Bradford M. Freeman is the largest individual gift in Cardinal football history, outside of facilities.

It is a massive windfall for Stanford general manager Andrew Luck and new athletic director John Donahoe as they attempt to resurrect the moribund program. The Cardinal have finished 3-9 in each of the past four seasons.

"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 in a statement. "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."

Freeman graduated from Stanford in 1964 and has been a major donor to the school for decades. The school plans to name a tunnel and gate at Stanford Stadium after Freeman, who previously funded the nation's first endowed head coach position at the school in 1988.

Luck, the former Indianapolis Colts quarterback, became the GM in November 2024 and Donahoe was hired in July.

"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," Luck said.

Stanford is currently seeking a full-time head coach, with former Colts and Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich handling the duties this season on an interim basis.

The Cardinal (2-3, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) are trying to avoid a seventh consecutive losing season, not counting the pandemic-impacted 2020 season. Stanford has not been to a bowl game since the 2018 season.

"This is a game-changing gift for Stanford," campus president Jonathan Levin said. "Brad's generosity and commitment to football will benefit our entire athletics department, as excellence in football will support success across all 36 varsity sports."

--Field Level Media