From Sep through May, San Francisco’s schools aid athletic events for their fans and alumni. San Francisco college football reigns supreme during the fall, while San Francisco college hockey and basketball games entertain sports fans in the winter. Most Bay Area colleges host baseball and track events in the spring. College sports in San Francisco customarily offer discounted ticket costs for students.
San Francisco State University
The biggest four-year school for college sports in San Francisco is San Francisco State University, home of the Gators. SFSU doesn't currently have a soccer program, but the highschool offers programs for baseball, basketball, cross-country, track and football. The school also provides groups for women such as softball and volleyball. All of SFSU’s athletic groups play at the key campus in the Lakeside area. Maloney Field is home of the baseball Gators, while SFSU’s basketball teams play at Main Fitness center.
University of San Francisco
Nick-named “The Dons,” the University of San Francisco features athletic programs in basketball, baseball, track, football and golf. USF’s heralded men’s basketball program won NCAA National Championships in 1955 and 1956; the team went undefeated in 1956. The university’s men and women’s basketball programs play at War Memorial Gymnasium, found on the USF’s main campus. War Memorial Gymnasium is also the home of the Dons ‘ volleyball team. Benedetti Diamond and Negoesco Stadium is where the Dons play baseball and soccer respectively.
City College of San Francisco
The only San Francisco college football team belongs to City College of San Francisco, a two-year college in the Balboa Park area. CCSF’s main campus is right off Ocean Avenue and home to the college’s athletic facilities. The college’s football programme has a tradition of excellence, winning the NJCAA national championship 8 times, including titles in 2003 and 2007. Rams Stadium is where CCSF’s soccer games occur. Among CCSF’s athletic programs are baseball, football, track and basketball. The college’s mascot is the Rams.
Nearby Colleges
San Francisco is within one hour of athletic programs at the University of California-Berkeley, commonly called Cal, and Stanford School in Palo Alto. Both colleges are members of the Pacific-12 Conference, a major athletic organisation in the NCAA’s Division I. Cal and Stanford offers opportunities to watch San Francisco college hockey from Sep through February. Both schools field football, baseball, basketball, track and soccer teams. The Stanford’s mascot is the Cardinals, and the Cal’s mascot the famous Golden Bears On occasion, Cal and Stanford host home football matches at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park.
Joe Santiago has had an interest in sports in San Francisco for a number of years. He has written op-eds and editorial pieces for many online publications. For more information about San Francisco college football feel free to visit his site.