[Mick]

So, if a prospect says "I'm a good athlete and I have the academics to get through Stanford.  But if Stanford wants me, they're in a tough spot.  Pay me $10M a year and I'll show up, for the first year at least", then is it worth it to those paying for athletics?    What if it were $20M/year?

As the old saying goes, then it comes down to haggling over price.  What is Stanford's price?

To me, the old value equation was acceptable. The very good student who wouldn't otherwise get into Stanford is admitted because he or she is a world-class amateur athlete and they typically receive some form of scholarship or other recompense. They stay at Stanford and 97% of them get a Stanford degree. In exchange, Stanford gets the best athletics program in the NCAA, Olympic medals, NCAA championships of one form or another every year. No other academic powerhouse has the pervasive, persuasive combination of Top-1-5 academics and Top 1-5 athletics. The next closest are Top 20 in both categories, maybe.

The new value equation is less acceptable, for some it is unacceptable. Stanford is shunted aside into the bottom of the top-tier "national" conferences, one that isn't as good as the Pac-12 but considerably better than the MWC or other alternatives. Now, Stanford has to offer scholarships and pay professional athletes, some of them, anyways -- and there is no loyalty, just a transfer portal. And people wonder, every year, if the 250-300 athletes who are admitted annually to Stanford should be 250-300 GREAT STUDENTS instead of the student-athletes, or -- these days -- ATHLETE - students. 

That's the price, and it is an expensive one. Other factors to take into account include (a) inertia and history of the most successful athletic department in the country with (b) unsuccessful football and MBB teams and ( c) enormous investments in the physical plant and (d) alumni and other Stanford people who really, really like the successful teams...and you have a giant conundrum.

For me, the NLI and transfer portal made it no longer worth it. I'd rather watch a minor league pro team than minor league pros attached to the World's Greatest University. For others, it'll be a hold-my-beer moment.

[Mick]

So, if a prospect says "I'm a good athlete and I have the academics to get through Stanford.  But if Stanford wants me, they're in a tough spot.  Pay me $10M a year and I'll show up, for the first year at least", then is it worth it to those paying for athletics?    What if it were $20M/year?

As the old saying goes, then it comes down to haggling over price.  What is Stanford's price?

To me, the old value equation was acceptable. The very good student who wouldn't otherwise get into Stanford is admitted because he or she is a world-class amateur athlete and they typically receive some form of scholarship or other recompense. They stay at Stanford and 97% of them get a Stanford degree. In exchange, Stanford gets the best athletics program in the NCAA, Olympic medals, NCAA championships of one form or another every year. No other academic powerhouse has the pervasive, persuasive combination of Top-1-5 academics and Top 1-5 athletics. The next closest are Top 20 in both categories, maybe.

The new value equation is less acceptable, for some it is unacceptable. Stanford is shunted aside into the bottom of the top-tier "national" conferences, one that isn't as good as the Pac-12 but considerably better than the MWC or other alternatives. Now, Stanford has to offer scholarships and pay professional athletes, some of them, anyways -- and there is no loyalty, just a transfer portal. And people wonder, every year, if the 250-300 athletes who are admitted annually to Stanford should be 250-300 GREAT STUDENTS instead of the student-athletes, or -- these days -- ATHLETE - students. 

That's the price, and it is an expensive one. Other factors to take into account include (a) inertia and history of the most successful athletic department in the country with (b) unsuccessful football and MBB teams and ( c) enormous investments in the physical plant and (d) alumni and other Stanford people who really, really like the successful teams...and you have a giant conundrum.

For me, the NLI and transfer portal made it no longer worth it. I'd rather watch a minor league pro team than minor league pros attached to the World's Greatest University. For others, it'll be a hold-my-beer moment.