No. 7 Miami opens the season with a cross-country trip to face Stanford

STANFORD, California (AP) — Miami University, ranked 7th in the nation, commenced its 2026 season with a cross-country journey to face their Atlantic Coast Conference rivals, Stanford. This marked the eighth regular-season matchup between the two teams in California, and their sole out-of-Eastern time zone trip this season. Coach Mario Cristobal and his staff, drawing inspiration from NFL teams known for frequent long-haul journeys, meticulously planned the team’s logistics.

Miami will play the preseason opener against the Cardinal, a 1-0 team, on Friday night. New quarterback Darian Mensah, a native of California, expressed his excitement to play in front of his friends and family, with the ultimate goal of starting the season with a 1-0 record. Stanford coach Tavita Pritchard, a newcomer, views this game as an opportunity to assess his team's progress following a streak of 18 consecutive losses against top-ranked opponents.