The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The team is known as the Cardinal, referring to the color, not the bird. The team was known as the Indians from 1930 to 1972 and the Cardinals (also referring to the color) from 1972 to 1981.