[Farm93]

I'm devastated.  While I recognize financial reality, it saddens me beyond belief that Stanford can't support all of those supports.  It's a genuine shame.  But we don't sell enough football or MVB tickets, so something had to go.

20 national championships.  27 Olympic medals.

So they're keeping softball and eliminating men's volleyball.  Makes all the sense in the world.

Softball is a title IX darling now in the Big12 and SEC that means the reasons noted for the sports cut by the AD don't apply for softball.  The sport remains a high profile sport for girls in CA and it is more competitive at a national D1 level than ever before.   Also, Stanford has a lovely stadium only suitable for softball that was built not too long ago. 

I am a bit disappointed the AD didn't try that to message to save those sports, but perhaps the Stanford AD didn't want to use the UCB AD approach.

FWIW - Football could have been national champs last year, they would still sell the same number of tickets this year.  ZERO.
The school actually has been selling most of Stanford stadium thanks to a decade of excellence far above any level that could be included in a long range planning exercise.  Attendance was a different issue, but ticket sales were OK for the last 5 years.   If/when Stanford returns to a decade of 4-8, 5-7, 6-6, 7-5 type seasons, a rate aligned to our historic averages, the AD's budget would simply be too bloated.

Of the group only Men's volleyball is a shock, and I hope it would stay since most those that play the sport are in CA.  Hopefully we can have a Cal Baseball style effort to keep it going.   Though, as my kids spent a couple of seasons playing in the Maples stands during MVB, even the championship season, I can assure you that not many people attended MVB games.

Sad times - 

Schools in the USA will eliminate a lot more than a lower profile sports at the end of this year, and other schools will just fold completely.   There is this pandemic thingy floating around that will change our normal for quite a while.  I suspect losing a few non-revenue sports will not be the most dramatic change to Stanford University in the next 6 months.

[Farm93]

I'm devastated.  While I recognize financial reality, it saddens me beyond belief that Stanford can't support all of those supports.  It's a genuine shame.  But we don't sell enough football or MVB tickets, so something had to go.

20 national championships.  27 Olympic medals.

So they're keeping softball and eliminating men's volleyball.  Makes all the sense in the world.

Softball is a title IX darling now in the Big12 and SEC that means the reasons noted for the sports cut by the AD don't apply for softball.  The sport remains a high profile sport for girls in CA and it is more competitive at a national D1 level than ever before.   Also, Stanford has a lovely stadium only suitable for softball that was built not too long ago. 

I am a bit disappointed the AD didn't try that to message to save those sports, but perhaps the Stanford AD didn't want to use the UCB AD approach.

FWIW - Football could have been national champs last year, they would still sell the same number of tickets this year.  ZERO.
The school actually has been selling most of Stanford stadium thanks to a decade of excellence far above any level that could be included in a long range planning exercise.  Attendance was a different issue, but ticket sales were OK for the last 5 years.   If/when Stanford returns to a decade of 4-8, 5-7, 6-6, 7-5 type seasons, a rate aligned to our historic averages, the AD's budget would simply be too bloated.

Of the group only Men's volleyball is a shock, and I hope it would stay since most those that play the sport are in CA.  Hopefully we can have a Cal Baseball style effort to keep it going.   Though, as my kids spent a couple of seasons playing in the Maples stands during MVB, even the championship season, I can assure you that not many people attended MVB games.

Sad times - 

Schools in the USA will eliminate a lot more than a lower profile sports at the end of this year, and other schools will just fold completely.   There is this pandemic thingy floating around that will change our normal for quite a while.  I suspect losing a few non-revenue sports will not be the most dramatic change to Stanford University in the next 6 months.