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Winter Registration Opens Nov 30
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SPT 17 — Proving Ground: The History of Stanford Athletics

Quarter: Winter
Instructor(s): Ivan Maisel
Duration: 6 weeks
Location: On-campus
Date(s): Jan 19—Feb 23
Class Recording Available: No
Class Meeting Day: Tuesdays
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 6:30—8:00 pm (PT)
Tuition: $380
   
Refund Deadline: Jan 21
 
Unit(s): 0
   
Status: Registration opens Nov 30, 8:30 am (PT)
 
Quarter: Winter
Day: Tuesdays
Duration: 6 weeks
Time: 6:30—8:00 pm (PT)
Date(s): Jan 19—Feb 23
Unit(s): 0
Location: On-campus
 
Tuition: $380
 
Refund Deadline: Jan 21
 
Instructor(s): Ivan Maisel
 
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
 
Recording Available: No
 
Status: Registration opens Nov 30, 8:30 am (PT)
 
 
For more than a century, Stanford has been a proving ground where extraordinary athletes, visionary coaches, and bold ideas have reshaped American sports and influenced generations. Led by veteran sports journalist Ivan Maisel, this course explores that legacy through six case studies drawn from the history of Stanford and college athletics. We'll trace the people who altered that landscape, from Ernie Nevers and Pop Warner to Bill Walsh and Tara VanDerveer, alongside pivotal turning points such as Hank Luisetti's early version of the jump shot and Clark Shaughnessy's reinvention of modern football. We'll also consider how Stanford became the nation's most successful athletic program, winning more NCAA championships than any other university, including at least one national title every year for the past 50 years. The course concludes by asking whether Stanford's distinctive balance of athletic excellence and academic ambition can endure amid the sweeping changes reshaping college athletics today.

Guest Speakers:

Anne Walker, Margot and Mitch Milias Director of Women’s Golf, Stanford

Dick Gould, John L. Hinds Director of Tennis and Former Men's Tennis Coach, Stanford

Andrew Luck, Stanford Football General Manager and Former Cardinal Quarterback

Any additional confirmed guests will be listed in the course syllabus.

IVAN MAISEL
Author

Ivan Maisel has spent more than four decades chronicling college football and the people who shaped it, most prominently at ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and The Dallas Morning News. He is the author of five books, including American Coach: The Triumph and Tragedy of Notre Dame Legend Frank Leahy, a finalist for the 2026 Dan Jenkins Medal honoring the year's best sports book. He previously taught “The History of College Football” through Stanford Continuing Studies.