[Nurdyguy]

Ucla had at least 4 transfers, L Betts, Kneepkens (Utah), Leger-Walker (Wazzu) and Dugalic (Oregon). I think Rice and G Jaquez played all 4 years at Ucla. 

Putting aside whether LSJU/coach Tara could have kept L Betts, could LSJU have attracted 3 transfers of the quality of Kneepkens, L-W and Dugalic and gotten them enough NIL $ and through the admissions office over the past few years?

kneepkens had a 3.9 gpa at utah before transferring to ucla, leger walker had a 3.9 gpa at washington state before transferring to ucla. dugalic had a 3.4 at oregon, which is not a slam dunk, but nor is it disqualifying.  it's not grades that are limiting our transfers in.

how about nneka to lead the search and, when she is ready, to serve as general manager?

I agree.  It's definitely not grades that prevent Stanford sports from using the portal like all the other schools. It's the fact that Stanford allows its administration to impose unnecessary extra hurdles on admissions that go far beyond what their competition requires, and far beyond reason. Whereas the programs we want to compete against can get all the athletes they want into school whenever the NCAA allows it, and they're willing to be aggressive with NIL, Stanford arrogantly adds unnecessary hurdles, refuses to max NIL deals, and turns its nose up to upperclassmen transfers in, which is suicide in this day and age. Until I see Stanford start to enroll high-skilled upperclassmen transfers from the portal, I'll know that the Stanford administration is still refusing to adapt to the current environment. Before I start blaming any coaches, I'm blaming the administration for refusing to step up to NIL and admission realities. We can still require good grades and for student athletes to attend classes, but there are plenty of high-talent transfers with good grades.  It's all the other arrogant extra red tape and restrictions that we allow the administration to continue imposing that''s really killing Stanford revenue sports.

I ask the questions below with curiosity and no informed opinion on the matter.

What are some of those unnecessary hurdles? And to clarify, are you saying that the actual academic standards are not too high, rather our admissions system is too inflexible?

Clearly some transfers are making it through the filter so it is possible. Is the effort too high and only some are willing to make it? Or does timing work for some but not others?

Yeah.  The restrictive Stanford admission timing windows and extra red tape getting athletes admitted into graduate programs suggest that the Stanford administration doesn't prioritize revenue sports success, or may view this difficulty as adding to Stanford's selectivity.  They also don't seem willing to drop brobdingnagian NIL cash on key targets. Obviously, some transfers have navigated the gauntlet, but the proof is in the pudding that other schools were able to reload through the portal, while Stanford only gets dribs and drabs. Cori Close could get whoever she wanted in on short notice when she had urgent needs, and in fact she upgraded her team.  David Shaw, Tara, and their successors couldn't. I'll know Stanford has fixed this when we start seeing high-impact transfers in. All the rest is excuses.

[Nurdyguy]

Ucla had at least 4 transfers, L Betts, Kneepkens (Utah), Leger-Walker (Wazzu) and Dugalic (Oregon). I think Rice and G Jaquez played all 4 years at Ucla. 

Putting aside whether LSJU/coach Tara could have kept L Betts, could LSJU have attracted 3 transfers of the quality of Kneepkens, L-W and Dugalic and gotten them enough NIL $ and through the admissions office over the past few years?

kneepkens had a 3.9 gpa at utah before transferring to ucla, leger walker had a 3.9 gpa at washington state before transferring to ucla. dugalic had a 3.4 at oregon, which is not a slam dunk, but nor is it disqualifying.  it's not grades that are limiting our transfers in.

how about nneka to lead the search and, when she is ready, to serve as general manager?

I agree.  It's definitely not grades that prevent Stanford sports from using the portal like all the other schools. It's the fact that Stanford allows its administration to impose unnecessary extra hurdles on admissions that go far beyond what their competition requires, and far beyond reason. Whereas the programs we want to compete against can get all the athletes they want into school whenever the NCAA allows it, and they're willing to be aggressive with NIL, Stanford arrogantly adds unnecessary hurdles, refuses to max NIL deals, and turns its nose up to upperclassmen transfers in, which is suicide in this day and age. Until I see Stanford start to enroll high-skilled upperclassmen transfers from the portal, I'll know that the Stanford administration is still refusing to adapt to the current environment. Before I start blaming any coaches, I'm blaming the administration for refusing to step up to NIL and admission realities. We can still require good grades and for student athletes to attend classes, but there are plenty of high-talent transfers with good grades.  It's all the other arrogant extra red tape and restrictions that we allow the administration to continue imposing that''s really killing Stanford revenue sports.

I ask the questions below with curiosity and no informed opinion on the matter.

What are some of those unnecessary hurdles? And to clarify, are you saying that the actual academic standards are not too high, rather our admissions system is too inflexible?

Clearly some transfers are making it through the filter so it is possible. Is the effort too high and only some are willing to make it? Or does timing work for some but not others?

Yeah.  The restrictive Stanford admission timing windows and extra red tape getting athletes admitted into graduate programs suggest that the Stanford administration doesn't prioritize revenue sports success, or may view this difficulty as adding to Stanford's selectivity.  They also don't seem willing to drop brobdingnagian NIL cash on key targets. Obviously, some transfers have navigated the gauntlet, but the proof is in the pudding that other schools were able to reload through the portal, while Stanford only gets dribs and drabs. Cori Close could get whoever she wanted in on short notice when she had urgent needs, and in fact she upgraded her team.  David Shaw, Tara, and their successors couldn't. I'll know Stanford has fixed this when we start seeing high-impact transfers in. All the rest is excuses.