[Goose]

The metric should not be whether the start or not, but whether they finish. If transfer portal players graduate at a similar clip as others, great. But if this turns into a bunch of one and two-year rent a player contracts, then we should step off this train.

BC

In general I agree. However, a confounding factor is the fact that athletes admitted as freshmen to Stanford in many cases themselves transfer, some without degrees. These are also in some sense "rent a players". It is unclear to me the transfers leaving without a degree are any different. The more serious question is how athletes can keep playing without making "adequate progress towards graduation". Leaving for the NFL is today "normal". Leaving for a "better offer" is also now normal. I guess one could monitor/follow all athletes that come through Stanford and look at their ultimate graduation rates to determine if staying on the train is reasonable, but for some reason I doubt anyone will. Graduation rates were tricky enough when people stayed at the same school. Now, with people transferring multiple times it is even more difficult to monitor and interpret.

[Goose]

The metric should not be whether the start or not, but whether they finish. If transfer portal players graduate at a similar clip as others, great. But if this turns into a bunch of one and two-year rent a player contracts, then we should step off this train.

BC

In general I agree. However, a confounding factor is the fact that athletes admitted as freshmen to Stanford in many cases themselves transfer, some without degrees. These are also in some sense "rent a players". It is unclear to me the transfers leaving without a degree are any different. The more serious question is how athletes can keep playing without making "adequate progress towards graduation". Leaving for the NFL is today "normal". Leaving for a "better offer" is also now normal. I guess one could monitor/follow all athletes that come through Stanford and look at their ultimate graduation rates to determine if staying on the train is reasonable, but for some reason I doubt anyone will. Graduation rates were tricky enough when people stayed at the same school. Now, with people transferring multiple times it is even more difficult to monitor and interpret.