Rivalry leaderboard

Big Game Greatest Games

The series' top 25 meetings, ranked without team allegiance by game-time AP strength, final-score closeness, and overtime.

Games: 25
Top score: 50/100
Overtime: 0

Series context

Completed meetings: 104
Series record: California 45-53-6 Stanford
Tracked years: 1892-2024
Trophy: The Axe

Series ranking

The rivalry's top 25 games

11 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.

2011Week 12
California at Stanford
California 28, Stanford 31
Winner: Stanford
Unranked California vs. No. 8 Stanford · 3-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
50
Game score
1969Week 11
California at Stanford
California 28, Stanford 29
Winner: Stanford
Unranked California vs. No. 15 Stanford · 1-point margin
Ranking 11/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
45
Game score
1991Week 13
California at Stanford
California 21, Stanford 38
Winner: Stanford
No. 6 California vs. No. 21 Stanford · 17-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 18/35 · Overtime 0/15
43
Game score
1958Week 11
Stanford at California
Stanford 15, California 16
Winner: California
Unranked Stanford vs. No. 17 California · 1-point margin
Ranking 9/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
43
Game score
1953Week 10
Stanford at California
Stanford 21, California 21
Result: Tie
No. 19 Stanford vs. Unranked California · 0-point margin
Ranking 7/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
42
Game score
1970Week 13
Stanford at California
Stanford 14, California 22
Winner: California
No. 12 Stanford vs. Unranked California · 8-point margin
Ranking 14/50 · Closeness 27/35 · Overtime 0/15
41
Game score
2001Week 13
California at Stanford
California 28, Stanford 35
Winner: Stanford
Unranked California vs. No. 13 Stanford · 7-point margin
Ranking 13/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
41
Game score
2009Week 12
California at Stanford
California 34, Stanford 28
Winner: California
Unranked California vs. No. 14 Stanford · 6-point margin
Ranking 12/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
41
Game score
1974Week 12
Stanford at California
Stanford 22, California 20
Winner: Stanford
Unranked Stanford vs. No. 19 California · 2-point margin
Ranking 7/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
40
Game score
2017Week 12
California at Stanford
California 14, Stanford 17
Winner: Stanford
Unranked California vs. No. 20 Stanford · 3-point margin
Ranking 6/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
38
Game score
1988Week 13
California at Stanford
California 19, Stanford 19
Result: Tie
Unranked California vs. Unranked Stanford · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
1950Week 11
California at Stanford
California 7, Stanford 7
Result: Tie
Unranked California vs. Unranked Stanford · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
1932Week 10
California at Stanford
California 0, Stanford 0
Result: Tie
Unranked California vs. Unranked Stanford · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
1928Week 12
California at Stanford
California 13, Stanford 13
Result: Tie
Unranked California vs. Unranked Stanford · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
1924Week 10
California at Stanford
California 20, Stanford 20
Result: Tie
Unranked California vs. Unranked Stanford · 0-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
35
Game score
2020Week 13
Stanford at California
Stanford 24, California 23
Winner: Stanford
Unranked Stanford vs. Unranked California · 1-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
34
Game score
1997Week 14
California at Stanford
California 20, Stanford 21
Winner: Stanford
Unranked California vs. Unranked Stanford · 1-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
34
Game score
1994Week 13
Stanford at California
Stanford 23, California 24
Winner: California
Unranked Stanford vs. Unranked California · 1-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
34
Game score
1948Week 11
Stanford at California
Stanford 6, California 7
Winner: California
Unranked Stanford vs. Unranked California · 1-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
34
Game score
2015Week 12
California at Stanford
California 22, Stanford 35
Winner: Stanford
Unranked California vs. No. 15 Stanford · 13-point margin
Ranking 11/50 · Closeness 22/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
1990Week 13
Stanford at California
Stanford 27, California 25
Winner: Stanford
Unranked Stanford vs. Unranked California · 2-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
1985Week 13
California at Stanford
California 22, Stanford 24
Winner: Stanford
Unranked California vs. Unranked Stanford · 2-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
1965Week 11
California at Stanford
California 7, Stanford 9
Winner: Stanford
Unranked California vs. Unranked Stanford · 2-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
1957Week 11
California at Stanford
California 12, Stanford 14
Winner: Stanford
Unranked California vs. Unranked Stanford · 2-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score
1956Week 11
Stanford at California
Stanford 18, California 20
Winner: California
Unranked Stanford vs. Unranked California · 2-point margin
Ranking 0/50 · Closeness 33/35 · Overtime 0/15
33
Game score

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.

Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Regular-season rankings use the AP Top 25 recorded for the game's week. Postseason meetings use the final regular-season AP poll before bowl and playoff results. Games before 2005 remain in the ranking but do not link to unsupported box-score pages. Videos are matched by canonical game ID or by a rematch-safe season matchup.