[StanUSwagU]

I offer this thought:  The main reason to support our football team is not for football.
It is for the overall school exposure, and for the benefit of most all other of our sports teams.
Because in reality you need to be in a power conference if you hope and expect to field a wide range of nationally relevant, nationally visible, and nationally competitive sports teams in both mens and womens sports.
And the single most important consideration in being invited/allowed into a power conference is having a serious D1 football team.
That's not fair, but that is Life. Historically, and Currently. 
Yes the travel of ACC games is a big burden.
Blame USC and UCLA for that.
The only other alternative at the time, for most of our sports teams, was a future of nationally irrelevant regional games, with no exposure, where over time the interest towards Stanford of top athlete recruits and top coaches wanes, and before you know it, even the prospect or remote hope of a national title has faded to impossibility.
I believe the two biggest things that got us into the ACC were: having a serious D1 football team, even if not a recently successful one, and the very successful diplomacy and politicking by Condoleeza Rice and company.
It is quite possible that college sports will see another disruptive realignment in the future.
And that the ACC and our membership in it doesn't continue as-is for even a decade.
However, joining the ACC was the only possible alternative at the time to keep Stanford sports, most all of them, with a realistic potential to remain nationally visible, nationally competitive, and in contention and consideration to be included in whatever might come next.

SkiBum,

I 100% agree with everything you say above relating to the importance to the AthleticDept & other sports, to have a 'Top20 Football Team' as the anchor or FrontPorch.

I do think we all can & should rally & support Stanford Football, irrespective of the program's importance to the other sports ..because Stanford Football men are 'stellar human beings' & because the sport of College Football (like no other) brings people from all walks of life together, and can bring 'Non-Stanford People' of different socio-economic backgrounds from the larger BayArea (who love spending Saturday Afternoons at College Football campuses) ..together with Stanford People, so as to 'cross pollinate the 2 tribes 'Stanford People' and 'Non Stanford People' en large masse. Whereas a more niche sport like womens field hockey or mens water-polo (important as they are) would not do that.

[StanUSwagU]

I offer this thought:  The main reason to support our football team is not for football.
It is for the overall school exposure, and for the benefit of most all other of our sports teams.
Because in reality you need to be in a power conference if you hope and expect to field a wide range of nationally relevant, nationally visible, and nationally competitive sports teams in both mens and womens sports.
And the single most important consideration in being invited/allowed into a power conference is having a serious D1 football team.
That's not fair, but that is Life. Historically, and Currently. 
Yes the travel of ACC games is a big burden.
Blame USC and UCLA for that.
The only other alternative at the time, for most of our sports teams, was a future of nationally irrelevant regional games, with no exposure, where over time the interest towards Stanford of top athlete recruits and top coaches wanes, and before you know it, even the prospect or remote hope of a national title has faded to impossibility.
I believe the two biggest things that got us into the ACC were: having a serious D1 football team, even if not a recently successful one, and the very successful diplomacy and politicking by Condoleeza Rice and company.
It is quite possible that college sports will see another disruptive realignment in the future.
And that the ACC and our membership in it doesn't continue as-is for even a decade.
However, joining the ACC was the only possible alternative at the time to keep Stanford sports, most all of them, with a realistic potential to remain nationally visible, nationally competitive, and in contention and consideration to be included in whatever might come next.

SkiBum,

I 100% agree with everything you say above relating to the importance to the AthleticDept & other sports, to have a 'Top20 Football Team' as the anchor or FrontPorch.

I do think we all can & should rally & support Stanford Football, irrespective of the program's importance to the other sports ..because Stanford Football men are 'stellar human beings' & because the sport of College Football (like no other) brings people from all walks of life together, and can bring 'Non-Stanford People' of different socio-economic backgrounds from the larger BayArea (who love spending Saturday Afternoons at College Football campuses) ..together with Stanford People, so as to 'cross pollinate the 2 tribes 'Stanford People' and 'Non Stanford People' en large masse. Whereas a more niche sport like womens field hockey or mens water-polo (important as they are) would not do that.