[Mick]

It must be mentioned: the new conference slate just isn't appealing to casual fans or many students.

For football, not so much. I think it will be for basketball. Outside of Arizona and UCLA, none of the Pac-12 teams interested me much. ASU was the next highest ranked team after them at #57. Duke, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Pittsburgh were all ranked better than ASU.

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I’ll take a very contrarian position on a sports board, but I think it is sadly time to pack it in.  As collegiate football becomes a de facto professional league, Stanford should actually *not* put the institutional commitment, including the compromises in its principle mission, that would be necessary to “compete at the highest levels in the sport”.  We don’t actually have to be great at football, and, in fact, the majority of the University and neighboring community, have shown that they have better things to do on a beautiful fall afternoon.

I think you're 100% accurate. Perhaps it's time, once the ACC contract is complete, to approach the Ivy League..., or create a Western/Midwest/Southern version (Vandy, Northwestern, Rice, Stanford, Cal, etc.)

[Mick]

It must be mentioned: the new conference slate just isn't appealing to casual fans or many students.

For football, not so much. I think it will be for basketball. Outside of Arizona and UCLA, none of the Pac-12 teams interested me much. ASU was the next highest ranked team after them at #57. Duke, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Pittsburgh were all ranked better than ASU.

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I’ll take a very contrarian position on a sports board, but I think it is sadly time to pack it in.  As collegiate football becomes a de facto professional league, Stanford should actually *not* put the institutional commitment, including the compromises in its principle mission, that would be necessary to “compete at the highest levels in the sport”.  We don’t actually have to be great at football, and, in fact, the majority of the University and neighboring community, have shown that they have better things to do on a beautiful fall afternoon.

I think you're 100% accurate. Perhaps it's time, once the ACC contract is complete, to approach the Ivy League..., or create a Western/Midwest/Southern version (Vandy, Northwestern, Rice, Stanford, Cal, etc.)