[Mudhead]

Cal is no more important to Stanford than many other West Coast schools .  If we just talk about football, Norte Dame is more important than Cal.  

USC, Oregon, UCLA and probably Washington are more significant athletic rivals to Stanford simply because beating them maters to people outside of a very tight geography in the Bay Area . The “Big ——- “ thing has felt manufactured over the last twenty years .

All things equal, it would be nice to be in the same conference with any of these schools but “nice” is not essential .  Neither Cal nor Stanford nor any other school can afford to stay linked if that is a great economic cost.

If we do in fact get the opportunity to be part of the Big whatever, we should jump at it.

 The alternative is Division 3 or Ivy League and that would be a brobdingnagian cultural change , ie a retreat by Stanford from excellence at the highest level .  It may come to that and we might be forced to go there out of dislike for the consequences of NIL, an open transfer portal and fear of “ big media” and the money it provides. But Stanford would be a different place  then and not a better one. It would be a lesser of evils kind of move.

I hope that for now , Stanford  is actively pursuing membership in the only major conference that appears to be open, the former Big 10.

[Mudhead]

Cal is no more important to Stanford than many other West Coast schools .  If we just talk about football, Norte Dame is more important than Cal.  

USC, Oregon, UCLA and probably Washington are more significant athletic rivals to Stanford simply because beating them maters to people outside of a very tight geography in the Bay Area . The “Big ——- “ thing has felt manufactured over the last twenty years .

All things equal, it would be nice to be in the same conference with any of these schools but “nice” is not essential .  Neither Cal nor Stanford nor any other school can afford to stay linked if that is a great economic cost.

If we do in fact get the opportunity to be part of the Big whatever, we should jump at it.

 The alternative is Division 3 or Ivy League and that would be a brobdingnagian cultural change , ie a retreat by Stanford from excellence at the highest level .  It may come to that and we might be forced to go there out of dislike for the consequences of NIL, an open transfer portal and fear of “ big media” and the money it provides. But Stanford would be a different place  then and not a better one. It would be a lesser of evils kind of move.

I hope that for now , Stanford  is actively pursuing membership in the only major conference that appears to be open, the former Big 10.