[VB Card]

In the 80's, we weren't very good at all, yet the students attended the games. That was because of the student culture, not because of the football team. There was football interest without the success, because it was fun. I could see a scenario where Stanford spends millions on NIL, goes 7-5 or 8-4 for a few years in a row, and it might still be a yawner for the current student body and campus vibe.

I was there at the same time. The student body and campus culture are very different now. Walk around campus on a Friday afternoon. How many students do you see shooting hoops, playing ultimate, throwing or kicking a ball around, hitting a tennis ball with a friend? Stanford used to admit people like me, academically-minded students who also loved sports. Probably like many of you. We created and sustained a goofy and fun Stanford style of rah-rah while we were students. We became alumni with that same Stanford spirit. 

Now the undergraduate class is closer to what you might expect to find at MIT. That has been the case for a generation of Stanford students. I don't think that Admissions values as much being an all-around student that includes sports so the class is substantially made up of people with less interest in sports. They become alumni with less interest in sports. I would be interested to compare undergrad intramural participation now vs. say 30 or 40 years ago.

Stanford can work to turn around the on-field football performance. But it won't change the campus culture (and now creeping into the alumni culture) that doesn't really care how they do.

While I do agree that Stanford has started to resemble MIT more in the academic/pre-professional sense, I can't agree with you here regarding the students and sports. I graduated from Stanford in June. As you can tell from me being on this board, I love sports and am passionate about Stanford sports. Not just on Fridays, but everyday, I had friends inviting me to go play pick-up basketball, spike ball, beach volleyball, soccer, etc. You go to Arrillaga (either of them) and the courts are always full. The volleyball courts between Wilbur and Stern are almost always in use. Wilbur Field is always lively. I'm a big tennis player and the courts were usually taken when I would show up to play with friends - same for pickleball. Now, when it comes to following team sports, I was disappointed with my fellow peers. Almost everyone had their own professional teams and loved to talk about them or the college teams from where they were from, but it was like pulling teeth getting people to come to a Stanford basketball game or even football game once the team started (inevitably) losing. My friends from HS for instance, all would camp out for any MBB or FB game they went to at their respective colleges.

[VB Card]

In the 80's, we weren't very good at all, yet the students attended the games. That was because of the student culture, not because of the football team. There was football interest without the success, because it was fun. I could see a scenario where Stanford spends millions on NIL, goes 7-5 or 8-4 for a few years in a row, and it might still be a yawner for the current student body and campus vibe.

I was there at the same time. The student body and campus culture are very different now. Walk around campus on a Friday afternoon. How many students do you see shooting hoops, playing ultimate, throwing or kicking a ball around, hitting a tennis ball with a friend? Stanford used to admit people like me, academically-minded students who also loved sports. Probably like many of you. We created and sustained a goofy and fun Stanford style of rah-rah while we were students. We became alumni with that same Stanford spirit. 

Now the undergraduate class is closer to what you might expect to find at MIT. That has been the case for a generation of Stanford students. I don't think that Admissions values as much being an all-around student that includes sports so the class is substantially made up of people with less interest in sports. They become alumni with less interest in sports. I would be interested to compare undergrad intramural participation now vs. say 30 or 40 years ago.

Stanford can work to turn around the on-field football performance. But it won't change the campus culture (and now creeping into the alumni culture) that doesn't really care how they do.

While I do agree that Stanford has started to resemble MIT more in the academic/pre-professional sense, I can't agree with you here regarding the students and sports. I graduated from Stanford in June. As you can tell from me being on this board, I love sports and am passionate about Stanford sports. Not just on Fridays, but everyday, I had friends inviting me to go play pick-up basketball, spike ball, beach volleyball, soccer, etc. You go to Arrillaga (either of them) and the courts are always full. The volleyball courts between Wilbur and Stern are almost always in use. Wilbur Field is always lively. I'm a big tennis player and the courts were usually taken when I would show up to play with friends - same for pickleball. Now, when it comes to following team sports, I was disappointed with my fellow peers. Almost everyone had their own professional teams and loved to talk about them or the college teams from where they were from, but it was like pulling teeth getting people to come to a Stanford basketball game or even football game once the team started (inevitably) losing. My friends from HS for instance, all would camp out for any MBB or FB game they went to at their respective colleges.