San Francisco and Stanford set to make history, will play the first-ever college game at the Chase Center

The University of San Francisco and AP Preseason No. 3 Stanford are set to make history today when they tip off in the first-ever college basketball game at the brand new Chase Center in downtown San Francisco.

The arena, also home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, opened in early September. Located in the Mission Bay neighborhood, the Chase Center complex includes shops, restaurants and a weekly farmer’s market.

USF is the host of the game. The contest brings together Stanford connections as Dons fourth-year head coach Molly Goodenbour played on both of Stanford’s national championship teams in 1990 and 1992. USF’s second-year assistant Katy Steding was part of Stanford’s first national title team, along with former Dons’ coach and basketball legend Jennifer Azzi

Steding and Azzi played on the 1996 U.S. Olympic team that won gold under Tara VanDerveer. The Team USA trio were honored last weekend when the current U.S. women’s national team played at Stanford.

For Goodenbour, playing at the Chase Center is a great way to promote women’s basketball in the Bay Area.

“There’s a real opportunity here for women’s basketball to continue to grow and for us to create marketable opportunities for people to attend games and grow the culture of basketball. It’s such a fantastic place to recruit to,” she stated during a preseason interview.

Both teams are thrilled to play in the new arena.

“I’m very excited,” VanDerveer said. “I can’t wait to see that building. It’s just a great arena, and it’ll be really fun playing against USF.”

Stanford (1-0) is coming off a 92-27 rout of Eastern Washington. Freshmen played a key role in the win led by forwards Ashten Prechtel and Fran Belibi along with guard Hannah Jump.

First years also led San Francisco (1-0) in its season opener as the Dons won their first game of the season for the sixth year in a row. USF downed Northern Colorado 90-83 in a come-from-behind triumph. Freshman guard Ioanna Krimili paced her team with 32 points while graduate transfer Mikayla Williams added 18 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

Notes

• Stanford is 24-9 all-time against the Dons and has won 18 straight. Its last loss to San Francisco on Dec. 9, 1983, 69-63.
• Per the NCAA, the game will be classified as a true road game for the Cardinal.
• In its last two games against USF, Stanford is a combined 30-of-63 on 3-pointers (.476) and has averaged 91.0 points. It made 15-of-31 in a trip to War Memorial Gymnasium in 2017 and hit 15-of-32 in a home win in Maples Pavilion in 2018. Those are two of the 10 games in program history in which the Cardinal has made 15 or more 3-pointers.