[oldguy]

I wonder if Stanford can sell the difficulty of admission as an advantage to a 1 or 2 year player, and should Stanford do so?

After all, there's McEnroe and Tiger, who get a measure of leeway for their year or two at Stanford, and as far as I know, have not returned to finish. And there are many athletes who go pro before their degree, and return during or after a pro career to finish a degree.

The athlete who gains admission to Stanford as a freshman will never have the advantage of being a recruited athlete again, unless he/she has eligibility left, and a spot is open for the rare transfer. Once enrolled elsewhere, or turned pro, he/she competes with every non-athlete seeking admission - a much higher bar.

Maybe they will never complete the degree, but why turn down the rare opportunity of a freshman year at Stanford, and the possibility of completing the degree somewhere down the line?

[oldguy]

I wonder if Stanford can sell the difficulty of admission as an advantage to a 1 or 2 year player, and should Stanford do so?

After all, there's McEnroe and Tiger, who get a measure of leeway for their year or two at Stanford, and as far as I know, have not returned to finish. And there are many athletes who go pro before their degree, and return during or after a pro career to finish a degree.

The athlete who gains admission to Stanford as a freshman will never have the advantage of being a recruited athlete again, unless he/she has eligibility left, and a spot is open for the rare transfer. Once enrolled elsewhere, or turned pro, he/she competes with every non-athlete seeking admission - a much higher bar.

Maybe they will never complete the degree, but why turn down the rare opportunity of a freshman year at Stanford, and the possibility of completing the degree somewhere down the line?