[DC 86]

I also have a different opinion on the education piece. College sports has been riddled for years with players who don't really give a darn about their education. Skipping class, fake grades, majoring in basket weaving just to stay eligible, etc. That stuff hasn't changed and it's no different now than 40 years ago. Stanford is and will always be a different animal in this area, but even in the 80's there were a lot of Stanford athletes who didn't give a crap about their education. I agree it needs to be watched in some way (which is why I'm advocating Stanford get in the game!), but I don't think NIL necessarily will swing the academic pendulum so far in the wrong direction at Stanford. Take Cam, Haley, Fran, Ashten, Hannah etc...some are better students than others but I'd say they all care. I might go so far as to say Cam and Haley will be exiting Stanford as more well prepared business women than the typical business undergrad.

Agreed, earning money and valuing education are far from being mutually exclusive. The caliber of athletes that Stanford recruits have plenty of other options if they want to maximize NIL earnings; the ability to compete at a high level while receiving a premier education is our draw. A strong collective will allow us to compete in this new era but recruits who go through the application process and enroll surely still value the education component a great deal.

It's true that there are some athletes who don't "give a crap" about their education but that's true for non-athletes too, i.e. students who understand the immense value of the degree but just do the minimum to obtain said degree.

[DC 86]

I also have a different opinion on the education piece. College sports has been riddled for years with players who don't really give a darn about their education. Skipping class, fake grades, majoring in basket weaving just to stay eligible, etc. That stuff hasn't changed and it's no different now than 40 years ago. Stanford is and will always be a different animal in this area, but even in the 80's there were a lot of Stanford athletes who didn't give a crap about their education. I agree it needs to be watched in some way (which is why I'm advocating Stanford get in the game!), but I don't think NIL necessarily will swing the academic pendulum so far in the wrong direction at Stanford. Take Cam, Haley, Fran, Ashten, Hannah etc...some are better students than others but I'd say they all care. I might go so far as to say Cam and Haley will be exiting Stanford as more well prepared business women than the typical business undergrad.

Agreed, earning money and valuing education are far from being mutually exclusive. The caliber of athletes that Stanford recruits have plenty of other options if they want to maximize NIL earnings; the ability to compete at a high level while receiving a premier education is our draw. A strong collective will allow us to compete in this new era but recruits who go through the application process and enroll surely still value the education component a great deal.

It's true that there are some athletes who don't "give a crap" about their education but that's true for non-athletes too, i.e. students who understand the immense value of the degree but just do the minimum to obtain said degree.