12-22-2025, 04:49 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-23-2025, 06:43 PM by StanUSwagU.)
Just giving my opinion, not trying to insult anyone, but here goes:
(1) As many are saying here, I am well aware of the cultural differences between the 'Stanford undergrads' from this 'era/iteration' of Stanford University & say Texas A&M University. Insert NotreDame if that comp, is better for this mental exercise.
• This is why you often will hear me advocating for that to change;
• I think a slightly more diverse (less nerdy/elite) undergraduate cohort might be better for all at Stanford.
• This is why you also hear me hoping for the increase to the undergraduate enrollment (I would hope that would be 2,500 additional undergrads) to take us to a number a little above 10,000), which would be a great thing.
• Especially if a large percentage of those additional 2500 undergrads are sports-oriented undergrads, then the composition of our undegrads would be 'less nerdy & more interested in Football & Sports'
• As i have stated in numerous posts, i think its okay at the Graduate Level, to have 'specialized nerds' for whom extra-curricular interests like CollegeFootball and Sports are not even on their radar, but for our 'Undergraduate Level College', I think it might be good to have 'more Renaissance Men & Women who beyond their Academic Major interests, have broad interest in the Arts and Sports & a fervor and passion for Sports'.
(2) Also, lets say having Undergrads who go onto to become 'Millionaires & Billionaires' helps later on with having benefactors who can later donate to add to the 'AthleticsDept/Football WarChest', then increasing the undergradtuate enrollment to that extra 2500 undergads, some of whom will be 'fervently passionate about sports, & some of whom might even be from Texas, Oklahoma, & Louisiana, and like CollegeFootball and the OilBusiness, ...just means that we increase the odds & numbers for getting alums who are 'Texas-Like Oil Millionaires & Billionaires who love donating to their University for Sports'. I dont know the exact composition of our undergraduates, but i wonder how many come from Texas or Louisiana, love College Football, and are thinking of being Oil company execs or Oil Futures traders ?
(3) The contrast highlighted above (e.g by Yvonne) between A&M undergrad students and Stanford undergrad students is unfortunately accurate, but that is about 'Stanford Undergrads' and perhaps by extension true of some 'Stanford people'.
(4) But, in my post here, I try to emphasize that 'it must be Stanfords outreach to "Regular working class 'Non Stanford People' " in the BayArea/NorthernCA ...that is going to be 1 key (along with a winning football team), to have our Stadium filled on Saturdays for Football.
Jacket3tree said, "Forget the excuses about alumni and they all move away. Market to the local population. (Start by stop hammering how awesome and elite and exclusive Stanford is and aren't you glad we wouldn't let the likes of you step foot in our hallowed halls.)"
I agree with Jacket3tree 100%;
I think he is saying if you want 'Regular working class Non-Stanford BayArea/NorthernCA people' to come down on Saturdays, we are gonna have to make sure we are not perceived as 'Nerdy, Elitist, wine-sipping snobs' who are more interested in '' inventing market-consolidation apps, and AI algorithms for optimizing Crypto arbitrage strategies & private-equity takeovers", rather than 'Regular guys and gals who love CollegeFootball, Barbecues, Large Cheerleader Squads, Tailgating, Real Uniformed MarchingBands, Standing & Cheering for their home team (rather than sitting, constantly checking their smart-phone, oblivious to standing up on 3rdDown defense) on Saturday Afternoons !
Perhaps 1 of the reasons that 'Non Texas A&M folks' drive 2+ hours to KyleField (in CollegeStation, Texas), is they feel 'welcomed' & feel like Texas A&M is a 'normal place' where they can relate.
(5) Also, (although this is a spectrum), I think the 'Outreach & Marketing Efforts' of our Stanford Ath Dept for Football to 'Non-Stanford People' may not be on the same level as maybe universities like NotreDame or A&M !
Many times the week before our 1st Home game, I drive 2 hours from where I am up to Stanford on the Thursday or Friday before our 1st home game; I am astonished at how little advertising or hyping of the 1st Home Game exists. No joke, about 2+years ago, it was a 'new season' full of hope & optimism, 'fall-ball' was in the air, after the 'doldrums of football-less summer'. Our 1st Game was a Nationally Televised HomeOpener vs a Nationally recognized TCU team, a chance to do EVERYTHING in our power to 'Fill The Stadium' & show the Nation & NationalTelevision Audience, and 'Recruits', what 'Stanford & StanfordFootball' were all about; For a 1st HomeGame that means (a) You know the opponent & date all the way from May1st, so (b) You have 4 months to 'Promote & Market that HomeOpener all over the Bay/NorthernCA SF,SanJose, SantaCruz, etc & to Book some Some BigTime Artist/Entertainer to Perform before the game (the way I see KennyChesney & LukeBryan performing before Tennessee and Georgia Home Openers)..which brings in gobs of Non-Football Country Music Fans from the area to attend the football-game); I drive 2 hours up on that Thurs before this 1st HomeGame vs TCU, and am driving into campus from US 101 to Embarcadero Road' to Campus; I get to the corner of Embarcadero and El Camino, in front of the Stadium, and expect to see the Large Sign/Banner on the Corner, showing the Fall Athletes and some Advertising of the 'Home Football Schedule' on this Sign.
**** Nothing ! *******
As a matter of fact on that Thursday before our 1stHome game of a NEW SEASON, a Nationally Televised Game (ACC Stanford vs Big12 TCU), this Big Sign at the corner of Embarcadero and ElCamino, was still 'Focusing on our Stanford Olympians'; The Olympics by the way, had been over for 2 weeks at that point; I am not saying we needed to take down the 'Sign broadcasting our great Olympians'; I would just have hoped that by the Thursday before our 1st HomeGame (a BigTime Nationally Televised ACC vs Big12 rumble, an 'Event' that could interest 'regular working class NonStanford Football fans in the BayArea'), ...that at the very least, on that very Visible Corner of El Camino and Embarcadero, that there would have been 2 large, extra additional signs [1 listing out the Stanford Football Schedule & 1 with some of the Photos of our Football Captains for the Year] Why not have the 2 features beggining in August1st = (1) Stanford Olympians + (2) August 30th TCU vs Stanford ...and pay for these same Large Signs and Banners 'Advertising and Promotion in large highly-trafficked Bay Area places like Union Square in SF, & WestField-SantanaRow in SanJose & the Boardwalk in SantaCruz advertising this "TCU vs Stanford game", and advertising all the 'hoopla events' rock-concerts, Marching band battles, car-shows, 'Tailgating Barbecue Contests' that would happen that Saturday at/near the Stadium that you got admission to, if you chose to come down to the Stanford that Saturday !
But maybe that is too much to expect ?
(6) Yes, the Football Team was better then, but I dont think its a coincidence that having a Head Football Coach (Jim Harbaugh) who embodied 'BlueCollar WorkingClass & lived the mantra 'Enthusiasm Unknown to Mankind (EUTM)' & 'Football is Almost Everything' ... was correlated with a lot of "Non Stanford Folks" coming down to the Stadium on Saturdays'
During Harbaughs tenure, we had a few Spring Games at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, and I met a few "Non Stanford People" there who just then got turned onto Stanford Football, and determined to buy season tickets and make going down to Stanford their Saturday activity ! [Thats what Outreach and Going off Campus to promote Stanford Football can do] and if we Add Texas A&M / NotreDame 'fervor for CollegeFootball' (by having more diverse undergrads & Passionate College Football Loving EUTM Administrators & Staff ), ...I think many 'Non Stanford People' in the BayArea/NorthernCA would take an interest in Stanford Football and coming down on Saturdays to Stanford Stadium.
(7) I dont know what budget we spend to 'Promote and Do Outreach of Stanford Football' to 'Non Stanford People' across the Bay/NorthernCA; It would be interesting to see how much we invest/spend on that 'per-capita' compared to places like NotreDame, Oregon, USC, or Texas A&M.
Again, love my University, but just wonder if we are giving that proverbial '100%' for Outreach to 'NonStanford People' in the BayArea/NorthernCA to come down for 'GameDay Saturdays'...and as MartyUp said to make the 'GameDay Saturdays' ..."events" that Regular WorkingClass folks see as 'Fun' & Welcoming for Regular folks, [Yep, car-shows, rock-concerts, monster-truck shows, battles of the marching bands, cheerleaders, fashion-shows, FridayNight PepRallys & Bonfires, Drive-In Movies for the overnight RV'ers in The Grove, Tailgating, & Barbecue Contests may not be for some of the 'Stanford People', but might get regular working class folks in the BayArea/NorthernCA to perceive Stanford University as 'normal regular folk' & entice them to come & bring the whole family to 'GameDay Saturdays' on the Farm ! (By the way, I am a Stanford Guy & I love all the aforementioned events)].
(1) As many are saying here, I am well aware of the cultural differences between the 'Stanford undergrads' from this 'era/iteration' of Stanford University & say Texas A&M University. Insert NotreDame if that comp, is better for this mental exercise.
• This is why you often will hear me advocating for that to change;
• I think a slightly more diverse (less nerdy/elite) undergraduate cohort might be better for all at Stanford.
• This is why you also hear me hoping for the increase to the undergraduate enrollment (I would hope that would be 2,500 additional undergrads) to take us to a number a little above 10,000), which would be a great thing.
• Especially if a large percentage of those additional 2500 undergrads are sports-oriented undergrads, then the composition of our undegrads would be 'less nerdy & more interested in Football & Sports'
• As i have stated in numerous posts, i think its okay at the Graduate Level, to have 'specialized nerds' for whom extra-curricular interests like CollegeFootball and Sports are not even on their radar, but for our 'Undergraduate Level College', I think it might be good to have 'more Renaissance Men & Women who beyond their Academic Major interests, have broad interest in the Arts and Sports & a fervor and passion for Sports'.
(2) Also, lets say having Undergrads who go onto to become 'Millionaires & Billionaires' helps later on with having benefactors who can later donate to add to the 'AthleticsDept/Football WarChest', then increasing the undergradtuate enrollment to that extra 2500 undergads, some of whom will be 'fervently passionate about sports, & some of whom might even be from Texas, Oklahoma, & Louisiana, and like CollegeFootball and the OilBusiness, ...just means that we increase the odds & numbers for getting alums who are 'Texas-Like Oil Millionaires & Billionaires who love donating to their University for Sports'. I dont know the exact composition of our undergraduates, but i wonder how many come from Texas or Louisiana, love College Football, and are thinking of being Oil company execs or Oil Futures traders ?
(3) The contrast highlighted above (e.g by Yvonne) between A&M undergrad students and Stanford undergrad students is unfortunately accurate, but that is about 'Stanford Undergrads' and perhaps by extension true of some 'Stanford people'.
(4) But, in my post here, I try to emphasize that 'it must be Stanfords outreach to "Regular working class 'Non Stanford People' " in the BayArea/NorthernCA ...that is going to be 1 key (along with a winning football team), to have our Stadium filled on Saturdays for Football.
Jacket3tree said, "Forget the excuses about alumni and they all move away. Market to the local population. (Start by stop hammering how awesome and elite and exclusive Stanford is and aren't you glad we wouldn't let the likes of you step foot in our hallowed halls.)"
I agree with Jacket3tree 100%;
I think he is saying if you want 'Regular working class Non-Stanford BayArea/NorthernCA people' to come down on Saturdays, we are gonna have to make sure we are not perceived as 'Nerdy, Elitist, wine-sipping snobs' who are more interested in '' inventing market-consolidation apps, and AI algorithms for optimizing Crypto arbitrage strategies & private-equity takeovers", rather than 'Regular guys and gals who love CollegeFootball, Barbecues, Large Cheerleader Squads, Tailgating, Real Uniformed MarchingBands, Standing & Cheering for their home team (rather than sitting, constantly checking their smart-phone, oblivious to standing up on 3rdDown defense) on Saturday Afternoons !
Perhaps 1 of the reasons that 'Non Texas A&M folks' drive 2+ hours to KyleField (in CollegeStation, Texas), is they feel 'welcomed' & feel like Texas A&M is a 'normal place' where they can relate.
(5) Also, (although this is a spectrum), I think the 'Outreach & Marketing Efforts' of our Stanford Ath Dept for Football to 'Non-Stanford People' may not be on the same level as maybe universities like NotreDame or A&M !
Many times the week before our 1st Home game, I drive 2 hours from where I am up to Stanford on the Thursday or Friday before our 1st home game; I am astonished at how little advertising or hyping of the 1st Home Game exists. No joke, about 2+years ago, it was a 'new season' full of hope & optimism, 'fall-ball' was in the air, after the 'doldrums of football-less summer'. Our 1st Game was a Nationally Televised HomeOpener vs a Nationally recognized TCU team, a chance to do EVERYTHING in our power to 'Fill The Stadium' & show the Nation & NationalTelevision Audience, and 'Recruits', what 'Stanford & StanfordFootball' were all about; For a 1st HomeGame that means (a) You know the opponent & date all the way from May1st, so (b) You have 4 months to 'Promote & Market that HomeOpener all over the Bay/NorthernCA SF,SanJose, SantaCruz, etc & to Book some Some BigTime Artist/Entertainer to Perform before the game (the way I see KennyChesney & LukeBryan performing before Tennessee and Georgia Home Openers)..which brings in gobs of Non-Football Country Music Fans from the area to attend the football-game); I drive 2 hours up on that Thurs before this 1st HomeGame vs TCU, and am driving into campus from US 101 to Embarcadero Road' to Campus; I get to the corner of Embarcadero and El Camino, in front of the Stadium, and expect to see the Large Sign/Banner on the Corner, showing the Fall Athletes and some Advertising of the 'Home Football Schedule' on this Sign.
**** Nothing ! *******
As a matter of fact on that Thursday before our 1stHome game of a NEW SEASON, a Nationally Televised Game (ACC Stanford vs Big12 TCU), this Big Sign at the corner of Embarcadero and ElCamino, was still 'Focusing on our Stanford Olympians'; The Olympics by the way, had been over for 2 weeks at that point; I am not saying we needed to take down the 'Sign broadcasting our great Olympians'; I would just have hoped that by the Thursday before our 1st HomeGame (a BigTime Nationally Televised ACC vs Big12 rumble, an 'Event' that could interest 'regular working class NonStanford Football fans in the BayArea'), ...that at the very least, on that very Visible Corner of El Camino and Embarcadero, that there would have been 2 large, extra additional signs [1 listing out the Stanford Football Schedule & 1 with some of the Photos of our Football Captains for the Year] Why not have the 2 features beggining in August1st = (1) Stanford Olympians + (2) August 30th TCU vs Stanford ...and pay for these same Large Signs and Banners 'Advertising and Promotion in large highly-trafficked Bay Area places like Union Square in SF, & WestField-SantanaRow in SanJose & the Boardwalk in SantaCruz advertising this "TCU vs Stanford game", and advertising all the 'hoopla events' rock-concerts, Marching band battles, car-shows, 'Tailgating Barbecue Contests' that would happen that Saturday at/near the Stadium that you got admission to, if you chose to come down to the Stanford that Saturday !
But maybe that is too much to expect ?
(6) Yes, the Football Team was better then, but I dont think its a coincidence that having a Head Football Coach (Jim Harbaugh) who embodied 'BlueCollar WorkingClass & lived the mantra 'Enthusiasm Unknown to Mankind (EUTM)' & 'Football is Almost Everything' ... was correlated with a lot of "Non Stanford Folks" coming down to the Stadium on Saturdays'
During Harbaughs tenure, we had a few Spring Games at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, and I met a few "Non Stanford People" there who just then got turned onto Stanford Football, and determined to buy season tickets and make going down to Stanford their Saturday activity ! [Thats what Outreach and Going off Campus to promote Stanford Football can do] and if we Add Texas A&M / NotreDame 'fervor for CollegeFootball' (by having more diverse undergrads & Passionate College Football Loving EUTM Administrators & Staff ), ...I think many 'Non Stanford People' in the BayArea/NorthernCA would take an interest in Stanford Football and coming down on Saturdays to Stanford Stadium.
(7) I dont know what budget we spend to 'Promote and Do Outreach of Stanford Football' to 'Non Stanford People' across the Bay/NorthernCA; It would be interesting to see how much we invest/spend on that 'per-capita' compared to places like NotreDame, Oregon, USC, or Texas A&M.
Again, love my University, but just wonder if we are giving that proverbial '100%' for Outreach to 'NonStanford People' in the BayArea/NorthernCA to come down for 'GameDay Saturdays'...and as MartyUp said to make the 'GameDay Saturdays' ..."events" that Regular WorkingClass folks see as 'Fun' & Welcoming for Regular folks, [Yep, car-shows, rock-concerts, monster-truck shows, battles of the marching bands, cheerleaders, fashion-shows, FridayNight PepRallys & Bonfires, Drive-In Movies for the overnight RV'ers in The Grove, Tailgating, & Barbecue Contests may not be for some of the 'Stanford People', but might get regular working class folks in the BayArea/NorthernCA to perceive Stanford University as 'normal regular folk' & entice them to come & bring the whole family to 'GameDay Saturdays' on the Farm ! (By the way, I am a Stanford Guy & I love all the aforementioned events)].