[BostonCard]

LOL, StanUSwagU.

The $10 to $30 million that you cite are a rounding error to the University. 

Here are Stanford's consolidated financials:
Q4 FY23 Annual Financial Report_no MD&A (stanford.edu)

Athletics is so irrelevant to the University's financial health that it doesn't even merit its own line item in the consolidated financials; it's lumped in with housing and dining services, the Stanford Alumni Association, and other activities under the non-descript term "Auxiliary activities".  $30 million is nothing to sneeze at, but it will not threaten the financial health of the University.

Total consolidated operating revenues increased by $1.2 billion or 8% in fiscal year 2023 to $16.3 billion.

$30 million is 0.2% of the consolidated total revenue.  "The university, Stanford Health Care (SHC) and Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford (LPCH1), generated a consolidated operating surplus in fiscal year 2023 with operating revenues exceeding expenses by $290 million."

Since Stanford is supposed to be a non-profit, it can easily absorb the loss of $10 to $30 million, if it wanted to.  It could also retrench from athletics, reduce expenses and get off the ever-worsening cycle of sacrificing its academics for sportsball, which seems to not just have little to do with its mission, but based on your post, would actually run cross-currents to its mission.  D1 Intercollegiate Athletics could disappear from the University and the earth would still turn.

BC

[BostonCard]

LOL, StanUSwagU.

The $10 to $30 million that you cite are a rounding error to the University. 

Here are Stanford's consolidated financials:
Q4 FY23 Annual Financial Report_no MD&A (stanford.edu)

Athletics is so irrelevant to the University's financial health that it doesn't even merit its own line item in the consolidated financials; it's lumped in with housing and dining services, the Stanford Alumni Association, and other activities under the non-descript term "Auxiliary activities".  $30 million is nothing to sneeze at, but it will not threaten the financial health of the University.

Total consolidated operating revenues increased by $1.2 billion or 8% in fiscal year 2023 to $16.3 billion.

$30 million is 0.2% of the consolidated total revenue.  "The university, Stanford Health Care (SHC) and Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford (LPCH1), generated a consolidated operating surplus in fiscal year 2023 with operating revenues exceeding expenses by $290 million."

Since Stanford is supposed to be a non-profit, it can easily absorb the loss of $10 to $30 million, if it wanted to.  It could also retrench from athletics, reduce expenses and get off the ever-worsening cycle of sacrificing its academics for sportsball, which seems to not just have little to do with its mission, but based on your post, would actually run cross-currents to its mission.  D1 Intercollegiate Athletics could disappear from the University and the earth would still turn.

BC