[82lsju]

That suggests that anyone entering the portal is not seeking a second bachelor's. So unless Stanford allows students who are eligible to graduate to nonetheless stay on a fifth year in pursuit of more undergraduate credits, I suspect any Stanford red-shirt junior entering the portal is doing so because they need to seek out a graduate degree to qualify for a fourth year on the field. And I strongly, strongly suspect that Stanford forces students who are eligible to graduate in four years to do so, because otherwise wouldn't every Stanford athlete who could drag it out so they could get a fifth year on the Farm? I know I would have, had I had the opportunity!! ;) I would guess it's easier at state schools to stick around for a second bachelor's or to drag it out to five years -- indeed, at Berkeley, it's common to need 5 or even 6 years to be able to finish a single bachelor's degree, given how oversubscribed a lot of STEM required classes are...

note sure of the current rules, but way back when you had to file a form with Stanford to say you wanted to graduate and that you had met the requirements for your degree, they did no tell you you had graduated and should leave, this of course was for general students.  

I thought for athletes that a fifth year (if they still have eligibility) was at the discretion of the University, so I could see athletes being allowed to continue as students but on their own nickel, which if they had enough units to graduate might not be very attractive.

[82lsju]

That suggests that anyone entering the portal is not seeking a second bachelor's. So unless Stanford allows students who are eligible to graduate to nonetheless stay on a fifth year in pursuit of more undergraduate credits, I suspect any Stanford red-shirt junior entering the portal is doing so because they need to seek out a graduate degree to qualify for a fourth year on the field. And I strongly, strongly suspect that Stanford forces students who are eligible to graduate in four years to do so, because otherwise wouldn't every Stanford athlete who could drag it out so they could get a fifth year on the Farm? I know I would have, had I had the opportunity!! ;) I would guess it's easier at state schools to stick around for a second bachelor's or to drag it out to five years -- indeed, at Berkeley, it's common to need 5 or even 6 years to be able to finish a single bachelor's degree, given how oversubscribed a lot of STEM required classes are...

note sure of the current rules, but way back when you had to file a form with Stanford to say you wanted to graduate and that you had met the requirements for your degree, they did no tell you you had graduated and should leave, this of course was for general students.  

I thought for athletes that a fifth year (if they still have eligibility) was at the discretion of the University, so I could see athletes being allowed to continue as students but on their own nickel, which if they had enough units to graduate might not be very attractive.