[Farm93]

For years Stanford has tried to find a neutral Big Game site for one year to balance out our schedule cycle better.  UCLA & Notre Dame in one set of years, and USC and UCB in the other.  Moving Notre Dame would be better, but that is a non-starter because they have their desired annual California Thanksgiving balance right now.

I remember that Stanford tried almost everything to get UCB to agree to hold the 100th Big Game at a neutral site in an attempt to accomplish better schedule balance with the unique Big Game.  But, as I recall, UCB rejected that at the time.

So if this is seen as UCB's idea, then great.  Truthfully, if Stanford proposed it, then UCB fans would reject it.  UCB fans might still reject the concept because it is clearly better for Stanford than UCB.  On most fronts it would be better for Stanford on that game day, and definitely a net win for Stanford over the longer term.

If it is a one time deal, it is a big win for the Stanford AD on many levels.  UCB fans have demonstrated that they don't travel beyond BART's reach, so I suspect it will be rather easy to find tickets.  It would finally allow the Stanford AD to address the lumpy season ticket appeal problems and all of the problems that lumpiness has created over the years.

I would be far less excited about a multi-year deal, but even then at least it would be on "our side" of the bay.

[Farm93]

For years Stanford has tried to find a neutral Big Game site for one year to balance out our schedule cycle better.  UCLA & Notre Dame in one set of years, and USC and UCB in the other.  Moving Notre Dame would be better, but that is a non-starter because they have their desired annual California Thanksgiving balance right now.

I remember that Stanford tried almost everything to get UCB to agree to hold the 100th Big Game at a neutral site in an attempt to accomplish better schedule balance with the unique Big Game.  But, as I recall, UCB rejected that at the time.

So if this is seen as UCB's idea, then great.  Truthfully, if Stanford proposed it, then UCB fans would reject it.  UCB fans might still reject the concept because it is clearly better for Stanford than UCB.  On most fronts it would be better for Stanford on that game day, and definitely a net win for Stanford over the longer term.

If it is a one time deal, it is a big win for the Stanford AD on many levels.  UCB fans have demonstrated that they don't travel beyond BART's reach, so I suspect it will be rather easy to find tickets.  It would finally allow the Stanford AD to address the lumpy season ticket appeal problems and all of the problems that lumpiness has created over the years.

I would be far less excited about a multi-year deal, but even then at least it would be on "our side" of the bay.