Stanford alum gives $50M to football program, largest individual gift

PALO ALTO, Calif. - A former Stanford football player gave the private university $50 million, the school announced on Wednesday, the largest individual gift to the program in university history.

‘Star player’ gives $50M

The gift came from Bradford M. Freeman, who graduated in 1964, whom the university called a "star player" who came to Stanford from his high school in Fargo, North Dakota, on a football scholarship.

"I remain grateful for the opportunities that my Stanford football scholarship gave me, and for all the ways that the university impacted the trajectory of my life," Freeman said in a university news statement. "I hope my gift will herald a new era of excellence for Stanford football and help the university address the new financial demands of competitive college athletics."

As a thank you, Stanford will name the tunnel where players and coaches enter Stanford Stadium as the Bradford M. Freeman Tunnel, and an entrance gate for visitors as the Bradford M. Freeman Gate, Stanford Report reported.

‘Game-changing’ gift 

Stanford President Jonathan Levin said this was a "game-changing" gift. 

"It will help us to recruit top talent and compete at the highest level," Levin said in a statement. "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."

Freeman’s gift also includes support for institutional Name Image and Likeness, otherwise known as NIL, where student athletes can make money to promote products, and creates five new football scholarships for student-athletes.

"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," Andrew Luck said in a statement.

Luck is the newly hired general manager of the Cardinal football team, and himself a two-time Stanford graduate. 

Freeman's philanthropy  

This is Freeman's second gift of $50 million to Stanford.

In 2005, he and his longtime friend and business partner, Ron Spogli, who graduated from Stanford in 1970, jointly committed $50 million to endow the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford’s hub for nonpartisan, interdisciplinary research, teaching, and policy impact in international affairs, the university said. 

After graduating from Stanford in 1964 with a degree in economics, Freeman earned an MBA at Harvard before starting a career in investment banking. 

In 1983, Freeman and Spogli co-founded Freeman Spogli & Co., a private equity investment firm.

Five years after that, Freeman endowed the nation’s first head coaching position, the Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football, which is currently held by Frank Reich, the university said.

Freeman's generosity to Stanford has transcended money.

He has held positions on many university advisory boards, been active in several fundraising campaigns, and served 10 years as a member of the Stanford University Board of Trustees starting in 1995, the university said.

"We are deeply grateful to Brad for this extraordinary commitment to Stanford Football. His generosity comes at a pivotal time and puts us in position to build a championship-caliber program," said John Donahoe, who became the new Jaquish & Kenninger director and chair of athletics last month. "Brad’s belief in the future of our program strengthens not only football but the foundation of excellence that defines Stanford Athletics."

Stanford now part of ACC

Stanford’s conference home had been part of the Pac-12 Conference for more than a century. 

But in 2024, after several Pac-12 schools left the conference to pursue more lucrative deals, Stanford joined the Atlantic Coast Conference. 

The Stanford Cardinal are finishing 3-9 in each of their past four seasons, ESPN reported. Stanford is 2-3 this season under interim coach Frank Reich.