[teejers1]

P.S.  I have same question with grad transfers who have eligibility remaining for football and basketball:  why not stick around as a Stanford undergrad a bit longer and play your final season?  Anna Wilson was here 6 years.  Was she in a grad program her fifth year? (I assume yes by year 6).  How many years has Jenna been on The Farm?

I suspect that the "answer" is obvious. While it may be fun to stick around an "extra" year, it will not be productive in terms of getting an advanced degree paid for by the sport. To most people, I suspect that is a key point. If you think staying at Stanford an extra year will get you drafted higher or if their is some business opportunity that it may offer, that could make sense. I suspect those cases are rare. Most Stanford people in their early 20's have goals. Staying an extra year just doesn't further those goals in most cases.

I think you are assuming the "advanced degree" is the horse, while playing another year of college ball for free at Stanford is the cart.  
I believe that is an incorrect assumption.

In other words, if fifth-year-eligible player X on the Stanford roster were given a choice of either (a) "play a fifth year at Stanford as an undergrad," OR (b) "you have to get out in four years, graduate, and play your fifth year at a school where you're working on a graduate degree, which may be Stanford . . . if you can get into the grad program on your own," I suspect the majority of players would take (a).  Perhaps the overwhelming majority.

I don't know that, but that's my assumption.  Do you really think kids are applying to grad programs because they're "done" with Stanford and then moving to get that year paid for by the hoops coach at said grad school?  It strikes me as more likely that players would prefer to play final year of eligibility at Stanford, even if that meant foregoing one year of free grad program at another school.  But again, I suppose that could be wrong.

[teejers1]

P.S.  I have same question with grad transfers who have eligibility remaining for football and basketball:  why not stick around as a Stanford undergrad a bit longer and play your final season?  Anna Wilson was here 6 years.  Was she in a grad program her fifth year? (I assume yes by year 6).  How many years has Jenna been on The Farm?

I suspect that the "answer" is obvious. While it may be fun to stick around an "extra" year, it will not be productive in terms of getting an advanced degree paid for by the sport. To most people, I suspect that is a key point. If you think staying at Stanford an extra year will get you drafted higher or if their is some business opportunity that it may offer, that could make sense. I suspect those cases are rare. Most Stanford people in their early 20's have goals. Staying an extra year just doesn't further those goals in most cases.

I think you are assuming the "advanced degree" is the horse, while playing another year of college ball for free at Stanford is the cart.  
I believe that is an incorrect assumption.

In other words, if fifth-year-eligible player X on the Stanford roster were given a choice of either (a) "play a fifth year at Stanford as an undergrad," OR (b) "you have to get out in four years, graduate, and play your fifth year at a school where you're working on a graduate degree, which may be Stanford . . . if you can get into the grad program on your own," I suspect the majority of players would take (a).  Perhaps the overwhelming majority.

I don't know that, but that's my assumption.  Do you really think kids are applying to grad programs because they're "done" with Stanford and then moving to get that year paid for by the hoops coach at said grad school?  It strikes me as more likely that players would prefer to play final year of eligibility at Stanford, even if that meant foregoing one year of free grad program at another school.  But again, I suppose that could be wrong.