(04-21-2026, 11:50 PM)liveoak Wrote: I'm happy to see our players graduate, whether in three or four years. If they graduate in three years and still want to play (and want to stay at Stanford), why can't Stanford pay them enough to stay for the extra year? I'm sure someone could find the money to pay them...It also assumes that it makes academic sense for the player to stay another year. IMO in most cases it doesn't. Unless you can get into a graduate program at Stanford that you actually want, you are arguably wasting a year of free tuition. I can also point out, as BC often does, that it is easy to say "someone" can find the money to pay them, but you and I aren't doing it. Even if there is money available, it may be better spent in other places. OTOH other schools may see it differently and be willing to pay more.
This assumes, of course, that the graduating players like the coach and teammates enough to play for the extra year.
Receiving your degree is a type of "natural" separation point from Stanford. There are forces that may want you to stay, and they may be strong. However there also may be good reasons to go. The player may "like" Stanford just fine but still chooses to go do something else. The vast majority of people receiving degrees do exactly that. Athletes aren't different.