[Mick]

Agree that the departure of Bowlsby and the loss of an administration that cared about the football program is a great and significant loss.  Stanford exists alone and unique among Top 10 universities with a Power 5 football program.

I saw a study that once tracked Georgetown's undergraduate applications with the success of its basketball team.  As the team won, applications skyrocketed.  I wonder what the impact of losing the football program would be on applications and yield? It had basically no effect on my alma mater, but that was a marginal D2 program.  Within the last decade, Stanford had one of the best teams in the country. I realize that students don't attend Stanford strictly or only because of the football program -- apart from the athletes, I think no student does -- but it helps at the margin, I think.

[Mick]

Agree that the departure of Bowlsby and the loss of an administration that cared about the football program is a great and significant loss.  Stanford exists alone and unique among Top 10 universities with a Power 5 football program.

I saw a study that once tracked Georgetown's undergraduate applications with the success of its basketball team.  As the team won, applications skyrocketed.  I wonder what the impact of losing the football program would be on applications and yield? It had basically no effect on my alma mater, but that was a marginal D2 program.  Within the last decade, Stanford had one of the best teams in the country. I realize that students don't attend Stanford strictly or only because of the football program -- apart from the athletes, I think no student does -- but it helps at the margin, I think.