[cardcoug]

“Dad, I want your advice.  I have been excepted in Indiana’s _____ Masters program.  I can play my last year there.  I can’t get in to Stanford’s _____ Masters program.  But I could stay for a fifth year of undergraduate work.  I like my teammates and we have a new coach coming in. Indiana has a good  _______ program.  That’s the area I hope to be in for my career. 
What are your thoughts?”

Assume your son has no NFL chance.  He will be playing his last year of football.

I'm completely w/Lex here. I teach at Stanford. Students often ask me for advice about graduate school or other post-graduation plans. Suppose an undergrad came to me and said, "I could start grad school at ___ next fall, my admission was fast tracked and it'd be fully funded. Or, I could hang around here as a super senior for a quarter, apply to graduate school all over again and, if accepted, find a way to pay for it. A year from next fall. What do you think?" It seems fairly obvious how I should advise them.

These kids are 22! They are just about to graduate and are itching to start their lives. The idea that loyalty to the university or team should drive their decision here is completely ludicrous, and I can't imagine even considering it when responding to the student. If they're aiming for the NFL, they absolutely should go wherever will make that most likely. We don't even pay them! If they're aiming for a career that involves graduate school, they should absolutely take the free graduate school. 

For the kids who are only thinking about football, the way to fix this problem is simple. When the senior asks, "where will I maximize my chance for the NFL?" "Where can I win a championship" or "Where can I have fun playing football", the answer needs to be "right here." A decade ago, it was. It can be again. The problem isn't an outbreak of selfishness.

[cardcoug]

“Dad, I want your advice.  I have been excepted in Indiana’s _____ Masters program.  I can play my last year there.  I can’t get in to Stanford’s _____ Masters program.  But I could stay for a fifth year of undergraduate work.  I like my teammates and we have a new coach coming in. Indiana has a good  _______ program.  That’s the area I hope to be in for my career. 
What are your thoughts?”

Assume your son has no NFL chance.  He will be playing his last year of football.

I'm completely w/Lex here. I teach at Stanford. Students often ask me for advice about graduate school or other post-graduation plans. Suppose an undergrad came to me and said, "I could start grad school at ___ next fall, my admission was fast tracked and it'd be fully funded. Or, I could hang around here as a super senior for a quarter, apply to graduate school all over again and, if accepted, find a way to pay for it. A year from next fall. What do you think?" It seems fairly obvious how I should advise them.

These kids are 22! They are just about to graduate and are itching to start their lives. The idea that loyalty to the university or team should drive their decision here is completely ludicrous, and I can't imagine even considering it when responding to the student. If they're aiming for the NFL, they absolutely should go wherever will make that most likely. We don't even pay them! If they're aiming for a career that involves graduate school, they should absolutely take the free graduate school. 

For the kids who are only thinking about football, the way to fix this problem is simple. When the senior asks, "where will I maximize my chance for the NFL?" "Where can I win a championship" or "Where can I have fun playing football", the answer needs to be "right here." A decade ago, it was. It can be again. The problem isn't an outbreak of selfishness.