The PK "negotiation" is not great, but I will give our new leadership (Levin, Donahoe and Luck) the benefit of the doubt here. After watching MTL, Drell, Muir and Shaw unravel things, I'm glad that we have a great group focused on turning the program around. I'm laughing at a cal fanatic over here spinning people up and telling us we don't have time - that's rich coming from a program that hasn't tasted a Rose Bowl since 1959. Please don't take the bait and see him for what he is - someone that knows nothing about our program, leadership or the current state of the university's finances. It's a Classic old blue schtick - "you're so rich, so just pay for it." Given the funding shortfalls, new tax increases on endowments and the widespread university layoffs, we were not going to pay for a Cignetti-like hire/contract that was originally $27M over 6 years with additional incentives.
We all want this to turn around quickly, but I don't think that is realistic. Jim Harbaugh was very much a Stanford hire. Bob Bowlsby was conflicted as to whether or not to push "No-Fault Walt" out so quickly, but we are all (maybe not calfan) grateful that he did. That said, even Harbaugh was paid on the lower end and took 3-4 years to turn things around. His record those first three years was 4-8 (2007), 5-7 (2008) and 8-5 (2009). My broader point about this taking time is also about fundraising. It's going to take time for Shayne and co to raise $500M+. If you want things to move faster then put your money where your mouth is and GIVE. I'll be the first to admit that I have a hard time ponying up real dollars to pay 18-22 year olds to play ball in the ACC, but that's the new reality.
I think we will find a unique path to being very competitive without compromising our academics. We are still the only university in the P4 that requires an actual application from all athletes (along with the military academies and some of the Ivies) and while we have significantly increased undergraduate athletic transfers in this transfer portal world and created a Stanford Post-Bacc program, we aren't going to throw out academic standards like so many others. I'm great with that as I don't want Stanford to have a roster made up of mercenaries that can't make it in the classroom. Levin has already stated that none of the faculty or students want that.
We all want this to turn around quickly, but I don't think that is realistic. Jim Harbaugh was very much a Stanford hire. Bob Bowlsby was conflicted as to whether or not to push "No-Fault Walt" out so quickly, but we are all (maybe not calfan) grateful that he did. That said, even Harbaugh was paid on the lower end and took 3-4 years to turn things around. His record those first three years was 4-8 (2007), 5-7 (2008) and 8-5 (2009). My broader point about this taking time is also about fundraising. It's going to take time for Shayne and co to raise $500M+. If you want things to move faster then put your money where your mouth is and GIVE. I'll be the first to admit that I have a hard time ponying up real dollars to pay 18-22 year olds to play ball in the ACC, but that's the new reality.
I think we will find a unique path to being very competitive without compromising our academics. We are still the only university in the P4 that requires an actual application from all athletes (along with the military academies and some of the Ivies) and while we have significantly increased undergraduate athletic transfers in this transfer portal world and created a Stanford Post-Bacc program, we aren't going to throw out academic standards like so many others. I'm great with that as I don't want Stanford to have a roster made up of mercenaries that can't make it in the classroom. Levin has already stated that none of the faculty or students want that.