[GK3]

I've never understood the "since they can't play a 5th year unless accepted into a Stanford Graduate program" argument. 

Yup, I agree. My thoughts are as follows:
1) Given the decreasing likelihood of five year graduation ...

 

I assume that by "never understood" msqueri really means this is simply incorrect. 

In addition, is the decreasing likelihood of fifth year players really true?

The roster currently lists 8 fifth year players and 1 sixth year. One of those is Fields who "transferred" to Stanford. Still that leaves 8 fifth+ year players on the roster which doesn't seem all that few versus the past. 

Since he wasn't a Stanford undergrad, Fields had to get into a graduate program. He is listed on the roster page as (MS). Nobody else is listed with an indication of a graduate degree, which leads me to think that none are purely grad students. So, the presence of 8 fifth plus year continuing Stanford players makes it pretty clear it is not logistically that difficult to hang around for a fifth year.

I think the operative phrase is:  "met the requirements for graduation"  IF yes, no 5th year unless accepted into a Stanford Masters program.  If no, then you can come back if the coaches want you.

Women's Golf probably benefits more from NIL than any other sport.  To make big money on the LPGA requires exceptional talent, and even then the amount of money you can make would not match what a male golfer with the same talent could realize.  More top women players out of high school seem academically oriented than their male counterparts.  
Golf is a tough sport, we have had no male golfer star on the PGA since Tiger.  Rodgers and McNealy are making very nice money but they are not winning tournaments, jury is out whether Wu joins them, or breaks through and starts winning.  Rodgers has made over $2,000,000 since turning pro so he isn't going broke.  Andrea Lee has made something over $600,000 which is far better than any of our next to last Golf Championship Team has done.  
It is hard to for me to understand how Stanford seems to frown on making it more possible for athletes to earn more money while in school, while University has made billions from efforts of their students in other fields.

[GK3]

I've never understood the "since they can't play a 5th year unless accepted into a Stanford Graduate program" argument. 

Yup, I agree. My thoughts are as follows:
1) Given the decreasing likelihood of five year graduation ...

 

I assume that by "never understood" msqueri really means this is simply incorrect. 

In addition, is the decreasing likelihood of fifth year players really true?

The roster currently lists 8 fifth year players and 1 sixth year. One of those is Fields who "transferred" to Stanford. Still that leaves 8 fifth+ year players on the roster which doesn't seem all that few versus the past. 

Since he wasn't a Stanford undergrad, Fields had to get into a graduate program. He is listed on the roster page as (MS). Nobody else is listed with an indication of a graduate degree, which leads me to think that none are purely grad students. So, the presence of 8 fifth plus year continuing Stanford players makes it pretty clear it is not logistically that difficult to hang around for a fifth year.

I think the operative phrase is:  "met the requirements for graduation"  IF yes, no 5th year unless accepted into a Stanford Masters program.  If no, then you can come back if the coaches want you.

Women's Golf probably benefits more from NIL than any other sport.  To make big money on the LPGA requires exceptional talent, and even then the amount of money you can make would not match what a male golfer with the same talent could realize.  More top women players out of high school seem academically oriented than their male counterparts.  
Golf is a tough sport, we have had no male golfer star on the PGA since Tiger.  Rodgers and McNealy are making very nice money but they are not winning tournaments, jury is out whether Wu joins them, or breaks through and starts winning.  Rodgers has made over $2,000,000 since turning pro so he isn't going broke.  Andrea Lee has made something over $600,000 which is far better than any of our next to last Golf Championship Team has done.  
It is hard to for me to understand how Stanford seems to frown on making it more possible for athletes to earn more money while in school, while University has made billions from efforts of their students in other fields.