In Stanford vs. USC, you have the two programs that have made the most match-play appearances since the format was adopted in 2015, 11 and nine respectively. The Cardinal, heavy favorites to win according to some online polls, has won three times (2015, 2022 and 2024) and gotten to the finals in 2016 and 2025. Conversely, the Trojans have yet to win in the match-play era, reaching the finals only once previously in 2023. Meanwhile, USC sophomore Elise Lee, who was on last year’s NCAA title team at Northwestern, is trying to become the 17th golfer to win back-to-back NCAA team titles—but the first to do it with two different schools.