1972 Stanford Cardinals football team

1972 Stanford Cardinals football
ConferencePacific-8 Conference
Record6–5 (4–4 Pac-8)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorRobert A. Jones (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorNorb Hecker (1st season)
Home stadiumStanford Stadium
Seasons
← 1971
1973 →
1972 Pacific-8 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 1 USC $ 7 – 0 – 0 12 – 0 – 0
No. 15 UCLA 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 3 – 0
No. 19 Washington State 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 4 – 0
Washington 4 – 3 – 0 8 – 3 – 0
California 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 8 – 0
Oregon 2 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0
Stanford 2 – 5 – 0 6 – 5 – 0
Oregon State 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1972 Stanford Cardinals football team represented Stanford University in the 1972 NCAA University Division football season. Following the departure of head coach John Ralston for the Denver Broncos in early January,[1][2][3] defensive backs coach Jack Christiansen was promoted to head coach.[4][5][6] Stanford finished at 6–5, but were 2–5 in Pacific-8 Conference play, tied for sixth.

The school changed its nickname from "Indians" to "Cardinals" in March after objections from Native American students and a vote by the student senate.[7][8][9][10]

  1. ^ "Stanford's Ralston Broncos coach". Sarasota Herald Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. January 6, 1972. p. 1D.
  2. ^ "Five-year pro deal to Ralston". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 6, 1972. p. 23.
  3. ^ King, Errol (January 6, 1972). "Ralston's talking Super Bowl". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. p. C1.
  4. ^ "Christiansen accepts job at Stanford". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). UPI. January 22, 1972. p. 16.
  5. ^ "White decides on Cal; Tribe gets Christiansen". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 22, 1972. p. 1B.
  6. ^ "Christiansen Stanford's coach, White goes to Cal". Lodi News-Sentinel. (California). UPI. January 22, 1972. p. 7.
  7. ^ "Indians are no more as Stanford name". Lodi News-Sentinel. (California). UPI. March 4, 1972. p. 8.
  8. ^ "What is the history of Stanford's mascot and nickname?". Stanford Athletics. July 7, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  9. ^ Wascher, Jim (March 3, 1972). "Senate abolishes mascot". The Stanford Daily. (California). p. 10.
  10. ^ "The Removal of the Indian Mascot at Stanford". Stanford Native American Cultural Center. Archived from the original on June 20, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2009.