Everybody knows that Stanford is about academics first and foremost. But the Cardinal knows how to hold its own on the basketball court too. In fairness, they are far from a national powerhouse, which means cheap Stanford basketball tickets are occasionally available. But for a school that prides itself in academics, the Cardinal has had plenty of proud moments on the hardwood. They’re a great program to support, making last-minute Stanford basketball tickets appealing for any sports fan in Northern California.

The Forgotten Championship

Most fans don’t know that Stanford won a national championship in 1942 when the Cardinal put together a spectacular 28-4 season while winning its fifth Pacific Coast Conference title in seven years. Of course, the pride of that championship was forced to last a long time. It wasn’t until 1989 that Stanford returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1942 title.

The Modern Cardinal

Following the 1942 national championship, Stanford struggled for decades on end. However, head coach Mike Montgomery was finally able to start building a winning program. He got Stanford back to the Big Dance in 1989 and then delivered an NIT championship in 1991. Following eight up and down seasons, Montgomery took the Cardinal to the NCAA Tournament in 10 consecutive seasons starting in 1995. That stretch included four Pac-10 regular-season titles and a run to the Final Four in 1998, the program’s first Final Four appearance since 1942. Unfortunately, Montgomery’s final season ended with a second-round tournament lost despite the Cardinal finishing the season 30-2. However, he proved that a fine academic school like Stanford could still be built into a basketball powerhouse.