Stanford football receives $50M donation from former player
The Stanford football program has received a $50 million gift from a former player, the school announced Wednesday, marking a significant donation as it attempts to revive the program’s fortunes under general manager Andrew Luck.
It’s the largest individual gift in Stanford football history outside of facilities, and a largest for an individual program. Donations of this value are typically tied to buildings or facilities.
The gift comes from former Stanford football player Bradford M. Freeman, who graduated from the school in 1964 and has been a major Stanford donor for decades.
The Cardinal are currently playing catch-up in the modern college football landscape, finishing 3-9 in each of their last four seasons. Stanford is 2-3 this season under interim coach Frank Reich.
“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 NILs will solidify Stanford as the preeminent place in the nation to be a scholar-athlete in football.”
The gift is also an adrenaline shot to the tenure of Luck, who has been general manager since November 2024 (with fundraising a key part of his job), and to new athletic director John Donahoe, who was hired in July.
Stanford is looking for a full-term coach, as the program and Reich have made it clear he will not be the coach after this interim season. This gift is a marketing boost for the work because it shows the availability of immediate resources and the power to break down the Stanford network.
Stanford will honor the gift by naming both a tunnel and a gate at Stanford Stadium after Freeman, who gave a wide variety of gifts to Stanford Athletics and the university. In 1988, Freeman filled the nation’s first head coaching job; The title is known as Bradford’s Director of Football Mr. Freeman.
Freeman is also a former school administrator who has served on numerous advisory boards. He co-founded Freeman Spogli, a private equity investment firm, and in the release he said he credits his time at Stanford with affecting “the trajectory of my life” and hopes it will help “herald a new era of excellence for Stanford football.”
Luck added: “I believe Stanford has the opportunity to be a premier program in college football, and we are fully motivated for championship-caliber teams on the field.”
