[BostonCard]

The men and women who play on the Stanford basketball team were recruited to Stanford to play basketball. They were recruited by the basketball coaches, who are employees of the university. Therefore, I think it's correct to say that Stanford University wanted these men and women to come to the university to play basketball for the team. Stanford values their skill in sport. Furthermore, during recruiting, the Stanford coaches initiate the process (i.e. "We are interested in you").  This is altogether different than the regular student at Stanford. AFAIK, Stanford doesn't reach out and recruit high school kids who have 4.0's and 1550 SAT scores. 

So why do some folks think that basketball players go to Stanford first and foremost to be a student and get a degree? Seems to me that Stanford has asked them, first and foremost, to come play basketball. The degree is just one part of the value proposition in the recruiting process to get them to come. It's always been this way. NIL doesn't change this at all. It's just another factor.

Someone could correct me if I am wrong, but I think it is a two way street.  Athletes send coaches videos, go to camps, and try to get noticed by the coaches as much as the coaches try to get noticed by the players.  Sure, the top recruits in the country don't need to do that, but the vast majority of recruits are not passive in this little dance.

And, while Stanford doesn't need to reach out to recruit regular high school kids (or, at least, Stanford didn't reach out to my kids), as the father of a son in college and a daughter in 11th grade, I can tell you we get plenty of unsolicited mail from schools who were trying to convince my kids to consider their school and apply (even some very good schools that my son did not wind up being accepted to).

Lastly, coaches at Stanford are not empowered to admit the athletes they recruit, and we have plenty of cases where someone who the coaches would have loved to come to Stanford not get admitted.  Yes, the coaches can identify students, and can encourage them to apply and let the admissions department know that they are recruited athletes, but at the end of the day the student still has to apply, and still has to be admitted.

BC

[BostonCard]

The men and women who play on the Stanford basketball team were recruited to Stanford to play basketball. They were recruited by the basketball coaches, who are employees of the university. Therefore, I think it's correct to say that Stanford University wanted these men and women to come to the university to play basketball for the team. Stanford values their skill in sport. Furthermore, during recruiting, the Stanford coaches initiate the process (i.e. "We are interested in you").  This is altogether different than the regular student at Stanford. AFAIK, Stanford doesn't reach out and recruit high school kids who have 4.0's and 1550 SAT scores. 

So why do some folks think that basketball players go to Stanford first and foremost to be a student and get a degree? Seems to me that Stanford has asked them, first and foremost, to come play basketball. The degree is just one part of the value proposition in the recruiting process to get them to come. It's always been this way. NIL doesn't change this at all. It's just another factor.

Someone could correct me if I am wrong, but I think it is a two way street.  Athletes send coaches videos, go to camps, and try to get noticed by the coaches as much as the coaches try to get noticed by the players.  Sure, the top recruits in the country don't need to do that, but the vast majority of recruits are not passive in this little dance.

And, while Stanford doesn't need to reach out to recruit regular high school kids (or, at least, Stanford didn't reach out to my kids), as the father of a son in college and a daughter in 11th grade, I can tell you we get plenty of unsolicited mail from schools who were trying to convince my kids to consider their school and apply (even some very good schools that my son did not wind up being accepted to).

Lastly, coaches at Stanford are not empowered to admit the athletes they recruit, and we have plenty of cases where someone who the coaches would have loved to come to Stanford not get admitted.  Yes, the coaches can identify students, and can encourage them to apply and let the admissions department know that they are recruited athletes, but at the end of the day the student still has to apply, and still has to be admitted.

BC