[BostonCard]

I haven't heard that Duke, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt have thrown in the towel yet.  It seems like they are counting on the House settlement to help level the playing field.  Northwestern is doubling down by building an $850M stadium.  If it works, it will generate a recruiting as well as a financial boost.

This is the "but all my friends are going to the party" justification.  Stanford has to make its own decision, and I agree with the statement (though I get a sense from Gail's other writing that their proposed remedy is to change the nature of Stanford University).  If it weren't for inertia, you would never start or upgrade a football program if you were Stanford today. We (along with Duke, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt) have way too many stakeholders and are too proud to throw in the towel, but we all probably should.

BC

[BostonCard]

I haven't heard that Duke, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt have thrown in the towel yet.  It seems like they are counting on the House settlement to help level the playing field.  Northwestern is doubling down by building an $850M stadium.  If it works, it will generate a recruiting as well as a financial boost.

This is the "but all my friends are going to the party" justification.  Stanford has to make its own decision, and I agree with the statement (though I get a sense from Gail's other writing that their proposed remedy is to change the nature of Stanford University).  If it weren't for inertia, you would never start or upgrade a football program if you were Stanford today. We (along with Duke, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt) have way too many stakeholders and are too proud to throw in the towel, but we all probably should.

BC