Quote:Quote:That was my starting point example, and not my end argument. Oklahoma State can point to Jerry Jones. My point was that Stanford is likely to produce more successful people in the long run at a higher average rate of success for a longer period of time. I could point to Blaine Nye, played for the Cowboys, got a master's in Finance, created the very successful Stanford Consulting Group.
The broader point is, I don't even know former Stanford football players and their success levels. I know a few; e.g., HM All Pac-10 LB Kurt Colehower, very successful post-Stanford with Arrow Electronics, now Greenwood Advisors. But I don't know the vast majority, and I'm sure it's a compelling story. And yes, I know they're not all David Packard.
And they don't need to intend to achieve success outside of football, but it would sure help if we put the possibility in front of them and show them the downside of the football factories. The downside is pretty far down, in a way that Stanford grads don't experience.
Goose dateline='[url=tel:1743271837' Wrote: 1743271837[/url]']
If the player has the qualifications to get admitted to Stanford, he is also pretty confident he is going to be successful in football and in life. Suggesting that he might not be is probably just about the biggest "turn off" one could find. There are plenty of "successful" people who graduate from other universities. Arguing that a given football player won't be one of them, especially when said player is qualified to get into Stanford, is an impossible argument to make. An counter argument is that going to a less academically challenging (but still "respectable") university may increase the odds of graduation and simultaneously the odds of a successful football career. More time for football and less time doing academic work. More fun on top of that.
There are degrees of success. I know successful people who went to my alma mater (SCU) and successful people who went to Stanford. The odds are much, much higher that you'll succeed from Stanford. Period. That doesn't take a vast mental leap, but it may take some additional explanation for a high school student. If I'm a student, I want to go to the place that guarantees me the best possible odds of the best possible future success. If a player is smart enough to consider Stanford, then Stanford should close on the vast majority of those student-athletes.
Goose dateline='[url=tel:1743271837' Wrote: 1743271837[/url]']
IMO the statement "The 40 year decision sells itself" has been made so often because it is basically true. The recruit (or his parents) either is very interested in academics, wants to get a good education, and is willing to accept the challenges required to do that at Stanford or he is not. If he is not, you can't really "sell" the decision. What Stanford offers isn't what this recruit wants. There are undoubtedly some guys that are on the fence. The fact Stanford isn't good at football right now probably deters many of them from choosing Stanford. Others verbally commit but when push comes to shove simply don't complete the high school AP classes required to get into Stanford. Even if they do and are admitted there is another consideration. In the past, once a recruit signed up for Stanford, we had him. He couldn't easily go someplace else. Today, guys who are on the fence are a much bigger risk. Once they experience the workload at Stanford going elsewhere may become lots more attractive :-). This is especially true if someone is willing to pay you to do so. Therefore, spending lots of time trying to convince one of these "fence sitters" probably isn't generally productive.
Stanford doesn't have that many recruits in their recruiting pool, and it's worse in these NIL/portal days. I think if someone is on the fence, they're worth the full-court press. I think we need to ask early and often, I think that contributed to Harbaugh's recruiting success. I just don't think recruits are sufficiently aware of the downside if they go to TinkertoyTech.
I don’t mean to be a jerk. But I find this to be somewhat of a “quaint” discussion. We are (this is somewhat of an assumption a bunch of older folks who are generally at the back end of their careers or retired and have for the most part had pretty good success. We grew up in a very different world.
These are 18 to 22 year-old kids. They’re being offered a lot of money to go play. Go listen to Tom Izzo on the issue. Among the great lines he has is “and by the way, there’s not a whole lot of recruiting within the portal. There’s offers.”
The world of revenue college sports has not just changed a bit. It’s a completely new world. Look at the NCAA tournament. Who’s in the elite eight –Four 1 seeds. Three 2 seeds and a 3 seed. Mid Majors? Forget it. Why would a kid want to play for Creighton for $150,000 when he can transfer to Kentucky and make $1 million.
And if I’m a stud athlete 18 years old and can put a couple million bucks in my bank account while playing a college sport – that’s going to go a long ways. Especially if I’m from an economically disadvantaged household. There are a lot of good schools out there. And I’m going to go play professional football anyway and really make a ton of money. I’ll go get my degree later. If I get hurt, I have a couple million bucks to fall back on and can get my degree now. Plus, they’ll be plenty of alumni around to help me get a good job.
There will be a few out there who still say they want the top academics, etc. But they’re only so many unicorns. Stanford has a choice – join in full the New World order or either drop football totally or get used to three and nine seasons. They aren’t going to sell enough “40 year decisions” to field a competitive football team. Not in 2025.
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Hi,
Great discussion: Sorry to repeat myself.
(1) It seems like this discussion has (and always) revolved around 'an EITHER OR" paradigm, like:
(A) Either Stanford becomes a 'Full Football/Mans Basketball Factory like Georgia or Alabama or Auburn' or 'We act like Dartmouth or Cornell & be terrible at Power4 Football & Mens Basketball.
(B) Stanford will 'Sell Stanford to Smart 4 star HighSchoolers or Transfers' either for the '40year decision' or 'Turn into an NIL Factory like Georgia or Alabama.
(2) Why not modify/modernize a 'small bit from where we are' to follow the model of 2 HighAcademic smaller Private schools that are similar to Ourselves
•NotreDame University in Football (who is perennially a Top20 Team & went the National Championship in Football) &
•DukeUniversity in Mens Basketball (who is perennially in the Elite8 in Mens Basketball all)
?
(3) Guys, NotreDame University & Duke University, ...have shown it CAN BE BOTH; it doesn't have to be 'EITHER OR' !
NotreDame in Football & Duke in Mens Basketball, sell Recruits & Transfers, ON BOTH & ALL
[A] You will get to be in a Top20 Program
[B] You will get Top 20 NIL Money
[C] You will get the 40year decision
If we were to just modify/modernize 'a little bit' from where we are on the following:
-Widen/Modify our Admissions criteria, to attract a more academcally & sports diverse 'NotreDame/Duke' type student body
-Leverage all of Stanfords great Corporate/Tech Contacts to get our NIL collective for Football & Mens Basketball to be Top20 in Value
-Transfer Portal (always be ready with Fast Admissions Review & Top offers to student-athletes from the other 20 great Power4 Academic-Athletic Universities)
-Paying Top Dollar for CoachingStaffs
-Marketing of Football & Mens Basketball to the larger BayArea Football & Mens Basketball Fans
....then we would be attractive to 'Smart 4star HighSchool prospects & Transfers'
(4) So, The Important Questions Are :
(1) Would it kill the Universe, if Stanford University Aligned itself with the model of NotreDame University & Duke University? ...maybe trial this out for 10years ? and if we dont like it, we can revert back
(2) Why the intractable, irrational, constant, resistance to doing this ?
(3) Most of the real-world thinks of Duke University & NotreDame as 'Top Elite Academic Institutions' (only at Stanford do some people seem to tbink Duke & NotreDame are too low for us to emulate) ..and kids going their are 'VERY SUCCESSFUL' after college.
(4) Someone above stated that the Factories dont care about Academics or whether someone can spell 'cat'; Do Duke & NotreDame 'not care about academics or if someone can spell 'cat' ?
Just wondering...