The "Big Game" is the annual football game between Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley (known simply as "California" or "Cal"), held in November. The first Big Game was held in 1892 on San Francisco's Haight Street grounds when Stanford upset Cal 14-10. It is the tenth longest rivalry in NCAA Division 1A football. Through 2003, Stanford leads the series record at 54-41-11 (wins-losses-ties). California has won the past two games (2002 and 2003), but Stanford won the previous seven meetings before that. The location of the game alternates between the two schools each year.
It is the biggest college football event in the Bay Area, and has a rich history. Since 1933, the Stanford Axe has been granted possession to the victor of the game. If there is a tie, the Axe stays on the side that already possesses it. The Axe is a key part of the rich history, having been stolen on several occasions by both sides.
The conclusion of the 85th Big Game in 1982 is known simply as "The Play". Many consider it one of the greatest plays in the history of college football. With 4 seconds left on the clock, Cal lateraled the ball five times on a kickoff return and ran through the Stanford Band, which had run onto the field to celebrate prematurely. The Play is often recounted with KGO radio announcer Joe Starkey's dramatic call of the Play. The legitimacy of the Play has remained controversial. To this day, the final score is noted as Stanford 20, Cal 19 in many Stanford publications, whereas the official score went down as 25-20, with Cal winning.
