[StanUSwagU]

I wouldn't call half the MWC wearing a Pac-12 mask "home."

Well, the real PAC 12 has sailed. You prefer they play Boston College?   And what’s better for all those so-called “student athletes.”

I think only the student athletes can answer that question.  The majority of the sports teams at Stanford are elite or relatively elite.  Most of the student athletes are choosing a school to compete at a high level.  Going back to a conference where competition is at lower levels in most sports is going to deter many top level athletes who want to compete against the best in their respective sport.  So, which is better for these student athletes?  I think a majority would say they prefer to be in a conference that is competitive.

Interesting. "Lower levels". Looking at football, which is all that matters today in terms of conference affiliation, the Pacific and Mountain Time Zones seem to provide decent competition.

Stanford football is 5-4 all time against the Mountain West.

Stanford football is 15-7 all time against the WAC.

Stanford football s 17-8-1 all time against the Big West (SJSU only team played from that conference)

It is not like Stanford has run roughshod over the "lesser" western teams. Stanford football also lost to UC Davis and Sac State. It appears they would have trouble in a Sacramento Valley Conference.

Stanford football is also 6-1 all time against the SEC so everything comes with grains of salt.

Stanford can't afford to leave the ACC before it implodes, but panic moves get panic results. It has been interesting watching the baseball team flail this year in conference play. I steel feel Stanford should have taken a leadership position on the west coast and worked to be a kingpin. Similar to how UCONN WBB is in a garbage conference but is able to stay on top despite that.

Totally true regarding football, and it being the end all for conference affiliation currently.  However, I have never personally seen Stanford as a 'football school'.  If we ever did go that direction, I'd be less likely to follow Stanford sports as a whole as I currently do.  For me, it's the other sports that draw my attention.  Growing up near Notre Dame, football was rammed down my throat since a child with half the houses in my neighborhood having a room dedicated to ND football memorabilia.  It just got tiring for me, and that carried over when I headed west to Stanford.  But looking outside the two main male sports, football and basketball, Stanford's athletic program is pretty special and draws in so many talented athletes across the board.  For me, it'd be a shame to lose those types of athletes.

*********************

Hello Spike,

Hope all is well. Great post.

I think the logic here is that if Stanford is not part of a Power Conference, then our Olympic Sport Athletes will not really be interested in coming to Stanford to compete in a '2nd Tier Conference'.

And to be part of a Power Conference, we need to at least show that Conference, that we are serious about "Investing & Making Small Adaptations and Improvements, to Win in Football and Basketball' & therefore bring 'Eyes, Excitement, & Media-Interest & Passion' to that Conference.

Lastly, and I am not being facetious here, just trying to understand the logic, by asking the Following Question:

You say:

" However, I have never personally seen Stanford as a 'football school'.  If we ever did go that direction, I'd be less likely to follow Stanford sports as a whole as I currently do.  For me, it's the other sports that draw my attention.  Growing up near Notre Dame, football was rammed down my throat since a child with half the houses in my neighborhood having a room dedicated to ND football memorabilia."


1 question & 1 opinion:

Are you saying your interest in Stanfords Olympic sports, rather than being intrinsic to those sports is based on the unrelated matter of Stanford 'being or not being a 'football school' ? Meaning if the Stanford Women's Swim Team had Katie Ledecky, but we were a 'Football School' you wouldn't be interested in seeing Katie Ledecky ? [Just trying to understand].

For myself: I dont consider NotreDame to be a 'Football School', (like a University of Alabama or a University of Georgia or an OhioState University) but rather a school that has Students and Alums & Fans that enjoy and are passionate about their University = NotreDame and its Football Program; To me that's healthy.

To Me: Notre Dame is a great Balance of a Top20 Academic school & a Top20 Football Program, that we could & should learn a lot from. They dont 'overemphasize a 3% hyper overfocus on Academics at the Undergraduate Level, which just brings undue & unneeded stress to 17-21 year old young Undergrads, that can sometimes lead to mental stress and issues for those young undergraduate students' [I think that 'ultra hyper 3% overemphasized focus & imbalance on Academics that MIT CalTech, and to a Degree Stanford now has, is better saved for Graduate School, and I think the Faculty and leaders at Notre Dame understand that, and have consciously decided to keep their Undergraduate Program 'healthily balanced'.]

And NotreDame's 'Football Alums like Tim Brown, Judge Alan Page (do a google search on him), Chris Zorich, Jerome Bettis, Aaron Taylor, etc ...to name just a few.. have very very compelling life stories of 'very very humble beginnings to achieving great impactful success in life & in their communities after football', modeling good behavior that All Americans (including ourselves here at Stanford) could learn from.

[StanUSwagU]

I wouldn't call half the MWC wearing a Pac-12 mask "home."

Well, the real PAC 12 has sailed. You prefer they play Boston College?   And what’s better for all those so-called “student athletes.”

I think only the student athletes can answer that question.  The majority of the sports teams at Stanford are elite or relatively elite.  Most of the student athletes are choosing a school to compete at a high level.  Going back to a conference where competition is at lower levels in most sports is going to deter many top level athletes who want to compete against the best in their respective sport.  So, which is better for these student athletes?  I think a majority would say they prefer to be in a conference that is competitive.

Interesting. "Lower levels". Looking at football, which is all that matters today in terms of conference affiliation, the Pacific and Mountain Time Zones seem to provide decent competition.

Stanford football is 5-4 all time against the Mountain West.

Stanford football is 15-7 all time against the WAC.

Stanford football s 17-8-1 all time against the Big West (SJSU only team played from that conference)

It is not like Stanford has run roughshod over the "lesser" western teams. Stanford football also lost to UC Davis and Sac State. It appears they would have trouble in a Sacramento Valley Conference.

Stanford football is also 6-1 all time against the SEC so everything comes with grains of salt.

Stanford can't afford to leave the ACC before it implodes, but panic moves get panic results. It has been interesting watching the baseball team flail this year in conference play. I steel feel Stanford should have taken a leadership position on the west coast and worked to be a kingpin. Similar to how UCONN WBB is in a garbage conference but is able to stay on top despite that.

Totally true regarding football, and it being the end all for conference affiliation currently.  However, I have never personally seen Stanford as a 'football school'.  If we ever did go that direction, I'd be less likely to follow Stanford sports as a whole as I currently do.  For me, it's the other sports that draw my attention.  Growing up near Notre Dame, football was rammed down my throat since a child with half the houses in my neighborhood having a room dedicated to ND football memorabilia.  It just got tiring for me, and that carried over when I headed west to Stanford.  But looking outside the two main male sports, football and basketball, Stanford's athletic program is pretty special and draws in so many talented athletes across the board.  For me, it'd be a shame to lose those types of athletes.

*********************

Hello Spike,

Hope all is well. Great post.

I think the logic here is that if Stanford is not part of a Power Conference, then our Olympic Sport Athletes will not really be interested in coming to Stanford to compete in a '2nd Tier Conference'.

And to be part of a Power Conference, we need to at least show that Conference, that we are serious about "Investing & Making Small Adaptations and Improvements, to Win in Football and Basketball' & therefore bring 'Eyes, Excitement, & Media-Interest & Passion' to that Conference.

Lastly, and I am not being facetious here, just trying to understand the logic, by asking the Following Question:

You say:

" However, I have never personally seen Stanford as a 'football school'.  If we ever did go that direction, I'd be less likely to follow Stanford sports as a whole as I currently do.  For me, it's the other sports that draw my attention.  Growing up near Notre Dame, football was rammed down my throat since a child with half the houses in my neighborhood having a room dedicated to ND football memorabilia."


1 question & 1 opinion:

Are you saying your interest in Stanfords Olympic sports, rather than being intrinsic to those sports is based on the unrelated matter of Stanford 'being or not being a 'football school' ? Meaning if the Stanford Women's Swim Team had Katie Ledecky, but we were a 'Football School' you wouldn't be interested in seeing Katie Ledecky ? [Just trying to understand].

For myself: I dont consider NotreDame to be a 'Football School', (like a University of Alabama or a University of Georgia or an OhioState University) but rather a school that has Students and Alums & Fans that enjoy and are passionate about their University = NotreDame and its Football Program; To me that's healthy.

To Me: Notre Dame is a great Balance of a Top20 Academic school & a Top20 Football Program, that we could & should learn a lot from. They dont 'overemphasize a 3% hyper overfocus on Academics at the Undergraduate Level, which just brings undue & unneeded stress to 17-21 year old young Undergrads, that can sometimes lead to mental stress and issues for those young undergraduate students' [I think that 'ultra hyper 3% overemphasized focus & imbalance on Academics that MIT CalTech, and to a Degree Stanford now has, is better saved for Graduate School, and I think the Faculty and leaders at Notre Dame understand that, and have consciously decided to keep their Undergraduate Program 'healthily balanced'.]

And NotreDame's 'Football Alums like Tim Brown, Judge Alan Page (do a google search on him), Chris Zorich, Jerome Bettis, Aaron Taylor, etc ...to name just a few.. have very very compelling life stories of 'very very humble beginnings to achieving great impactful success in life & in their communities after football', modeling good behavior that All Americans (including ourselves here at Stanford) could learn from.