[Mick]

I have a friend who owned a string of upscale bakeries. Every other year, he would make a trip to another region, visit their bakeries and meet with their owners to talk shop. He sourced a lot of ideas and upgraded virtually every area of his business through that process. I met him one year in Chicago, we attended a game at Wrigley.

If I were Mr. Luck, I would have conversations with the top two dozen programs with the idea of visiting half-a-dozen to a dozen successful programs to generate as much information as I could. Someone's doing it right, and it ain't us.

I'd start with Michigan. It's a unique dynamic in that state, true. There's no private school comparable to Stanford in Michigan. But UMich is #1 in attendance and their influence is pervasive throughout the state. If your college logo is on the state highway signs, you're doing something right.

I'd also look to some of the successful private school programs; e.g., Notre Dame, BYU, Miami, and yes, our former league mates. I'd call the SEC peers, 2-3 of the Big 10, one or two of the Big 12. I'd compile a big report subtitled "successful football promotions that Stanford isn't doing but we could..." and rethink the entire program top to bottom.

[Mick]

I have a friend who owned a string of upscale bakeries. Every other year, he would make a trip to another region, visit their bakeries and meet with their owners to talk shop. He sourced a lot of ideas and upgraded virtually every area of his business through that process. I met him one year in Chicago, we attended a game at Wrigley.

If I were Mr. Luck, I would have conversations with the top two dozen programs with the idea of visiting half-a-dozen to a dozen successful programs to generate as much information as I could. Someone's doing it right, and it ain't us.

I'd start with Michigan. It's a unique dynamic in that state, true. There's no private school comparable to Stanford in Michigan. But UMich is #1 in attendance and their influence is pervasive throughout the state. If your college logo is on the state highway signs, you're doing something right.

I'd also look to some of the successful private school programs; e.g., Notre Dame, BYU, Miami, and yes, our former league mates. I'd call the SEC peers, 2-3 of the Big 10, one or two of the Big 12. I'd compile a big report subtitled "successful football promotions that Stanford isn't doing but we could..." and rethink the entire program top to bottom.