[grendalor]

It's absolutely a will game with Stanford.

If Stanford offered NIL money, slightly relaxed admissions beyond what currently exists (what other school requires a full on application with essays, previously higher minimum test scores, plus *generally top* grades), and administrative support, why can't it succeed?  An elite degree with superb weather.


There is zero reason why Stanford can't become the Duke Basketball of Football. They choose not to for reasons that can be debated to be right or wrong ad infinitum.

If anything, the current test optional climate should help even more.

Duke basketball embraces one and done (recruiting players who explicitly tell them that they are staying for one year only barring extenuating circumstances), and has done so since 1999.  I don't think many Stanford community stakeholders would be comfortable with Stanford doing that.  No way Duke would have remained as competitive at the top level in NCAA hoops without doing that, I think. 

Now, of course that doesn't mean there aren't other things we could do to become more competitive in the current environment without running afoul of core values many stakeholders have.  But I don't think Duke basketball can be a model for us, in any sport.

[grendalor]

It's absolutely a will game with Stanford.

If Stanford offered NIL money, slightly relaxed admissions beyond what currently exists (what other school requires a full on application with essays, previously higher minimum test scores, plus *generally top* grades), and administrative support, why can't it succeed?  An elite degree with superb weather.


There is zero reason why Stanford can't become the Duke Basketball of Football. They choose not to for reasons that can be debated to be right or wrong ad infinitum.

If anything, the current test optional climate should help even more.

Duke basketball embraces one and done (recruiting players who explicitly tell them that they are staying for one year only barring extenuating circumstances), and has done so since 1999.  I don't think many Stanford community stakeholders would be comfortable with Stanford doing that.  No way Duke would have remained as competitive at the top level in NCAA hoops without doing that, I think. 

Now, of course that doesn't mean there aren't other things we could do to become more competitive in the current environment without running afoul of core values many stakeholders have.  But I don't think Duke basketball can be a model for us, in any sport.