Read that here.

Read that here.

Has anyone seen that Steve Wiltfong has made a prediction of Andrew Babalola to Stanford? 60% confidence level. Any comments/reaction by you recruitniks out there?

This obviously isn't an On Topic post, but Stanford sport are done, so why not...

I have been moved to tears watching the D-Day ceremonies today, for a lot of different reasons. The fact this is the last one the remaining survivors will attend is part of it for sure. Another is my sheer admiration for what those young men and boys resolved to get through even if it cost them life, limb, or both.

What moves me the most is fear these ceremonies and remembrances won't happen or get the attention they deserve once the survivors are gone. Please tell your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends, to never forget what this day means. Never stop honoring the memories of those who - and I'm borrowing a line from a vet I heard today - gave up their today so we could have our tomorrows. Please don't let future generations forget the lesson June 6, 1944 at Normandy, France makes available for all citizens of the world to learn and appreciate.

Now that transfer season is over (I think), I'd love to see a roster and projected rotation for next year. There were too many moving pieces this offseason for me to keep track of. Sorry if this was addressed elsewhere!

As always, there will be numerous Stanford athletes, mainly alums, going to the Olympic trials and in some cases the Olympics.
I thought it would be interesting to have a thread dedicated to them. Some will be obscure, some obvious.

In the obvious category, Katie Ledecky has qualified for the trials in multiple events. Not sure which ones she will choose to swim. She is going to have her hands full with the Australians and Canadian Summer McIntosh at the Olympics.

Less obvious is Ella Donaghu, who just ran a 14:58 5000 meters at the LA Grand Prix last weekend. Her best while at Stanford was 15:29. The A qualifying time for the trials is 15:10, so she is in.

Alrighty, a little late here, but here is the men's basketball recruiting notes thread for January. The previous thread for November is here. Scroll through that if you missed anything.


Men's basketball recruiting is a bit weird to cover right now since so much hinges on Jerod Haase's future. If he gets relieved of his duties after the season, no guarantee 2023 signee Elijah Crawford stays and then all the guys who they've offered and had on visit, most notably Caleb Wilson are guys who the new staff would have to re-establish relationships with. A coaching change would bring about a lot of changes on the recruiting front and it's really hard to predict what happens from there. Will Kanaan Carlyle stay? Will he leave for the NBA? Same questions can be asked about Andrej Stojakovic. It's all very up-in-the-air as I often like to say.

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Now, if for whatever reason Haase survives another season of not making the tournament (again), the staff will likely be looking to add a grad transfer via the portal and quite honestly, either way even if it's a new head coach, Stanford is going to have to find somebody via the grad transfer portal. Or hell, maybe they finally add an undergrad transfer. There's also the possibility of a late springing signing of some kid out of high school. That would likely happen, too.

I do think Haase's lack of success has finally caught up with him on the recruiting trail. At least it looks that way. No major signings this past cycle, which puts all the more pressure on him to get the Cardinal to the tourney this year. Though that of course looks like a long shot. I guess the real question is whether or not this is in fact tourney or bust for him. My belief is it is, but I don't know for certain what is on Muir's mind or how he's evaluating this season. And since we haven't reached the end of the season yet, I don't want to further postulate on the matter until we get to that point.

For now, we just have to see how the season shakes out and expect things on the recruiting side to remain relatively quiet since so few guys are willing to commit to a school without knowing who the head coach will be. And on that note, I think there is some optimism on those grounds that Crawford will stick through a coaching change. When he committed, he had to know this was a possible hot seat year for Haase. Hopefully he's a guy who is more about the academic side and not as worried about the coaching side. Some guys are like that.

P.S. I don't want to give off the impression that the staff isn't recruiting at all or trying to make things happen on that front. They are. But they're just having a tough time for the reasons I laid out above.

Fellow Beleaguered Stanford Football Fans,

I am about to pay more $$$ to watch us win o/u 3 games this season and am wondering, how close it too close to the field?

Simply put, what is the best row that has you close to the action but with a clear line of sight over the sideline players… 10 rows back, 20? 30?

That anon Twitter account that posted about the realignment last year is back with some new tweets:

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Signed up for this --guest speakers include Andrew and Oliver Luck, John Lynch. Should be a lot of discussion about where we fit in.

Game Changers: Sports Management and Leadership in the Changing World of College Athletics

Tuesdays, 6:00 - 7:50 pm (PT) • 6 weeks • April 16 – May 28
Join us on campus or online!​

Join us this spring for a comprehensive exploration of the evolving landscape of sports management and leadership in college athletics. This course will immerse students in the dynamic world of college sports, mainly focusing on the business of college football and its wide-ranging influence on the sports industry. It will feature university leaders, general managers, professional scouts, players, sports agents, and more.

Together, we will analyze the ever-changing industry landscape, including hot topics like conference realignment; name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and the role of collectives in college sports; crisis and scandal management; and the athletic facilities arms race. We will analyze what makes a great coach and leader and how they can have an impact on today’s athletes, organizations and athletic programs. We will also examine how these transformations influence student-athlete compensation, competitive dynamics, fan engagement, and sports program management. Along the way, we will pay particular attention to how Stanford navigates these changes. Whether you're pursuing a sports career, are an avid fan, or are simply seeking an enriched perspective into a phenomenon that continues to grip American culture, this course will provide unique insight into the dynamic world of college athletics.

Students can choose to attend this course on campus or online. Sign up for Section H if you think you might attend class on the Stanford campus at least once. There is no commitment—you can still choose to attend via Zoom for any session. Sign up for Section Z if you know you will exclusively attend via Zoom.

Guest Speakers​

Andrew Luck, Former Stanford Quarterback and NFL Quarterback

Mike Tollin, Filmmaker, Producer, and Director of Sports-Related Films and Documentaries

John Lynch, General Manager, San Francisco 49ers; Former NFL All Pro Safety and Stanford Football Player

Oliver Luck, Former Commissioner of the XFL and Athletic Administrator in College Sports

Armen Keteyian, Veteran Sports Journalist and Author

Rodney Gilmore, ESPN analyst, College Football Commentator, and Former Stanford Football Player

Jamie Zaninovich, Sports Executive and Former Commissioner of the West Coast Conference (WCC)

Jon Wilner, Sports Journalist and Columnist for The Mercury News

Ashley Adamson, Sports Broadcaster, Host, and Reporter for Pac-12 Networks

Laura Okmin, Sports Broadcaster and NFL Reporter

Please note: The list of speakers is tentative and will continue to be updated, with more participants to come.

Course Instructor​

Matt Doyle
Senior Associate Athletics Director, Stanford; Adjunct Professor, Sport Management Graduate Program, University of San Francisco

In one of the posts I read, there was a reference to OVs being more impressively executed than in previous years. That could mean many things and be in the eye of the beholder.. But then I saw the Josh Petty comment about Stanford offering "the total package," and had some questions about how Stanford OVs in the NIL, and looming pay to play world might be differentiated from other schools.

Pre-NIL, the schools Stanford competed against probably had to pump up their academic programs as much as possible to win over recruits, and especially their parents, because there was no cash compensation as part of the equation. They could also talk about coaching development, facilities, ML sports preparation, etc.

Now, post-NIL, I wonder if the schools Stanford competes against are emphasizing education, degree value, networking, etc. as much as pre-NIL, when they now have the cash compensation angle to play up.

I would imagine Stanford is probably leaning into the value of its education and professional development beyond sports, now, more than ever. Think of it like three variables. and there are 150 emphasis points to spread among Student experience, Sports experience/athlete development, and Compensation.

Student experience = Degree value, quality of education, professional networking and non-sports development
Sports experience = Athlete S&C, skill development, winning/losing/tradition, environment/fan support
Compensation = NIL opportunities and soon compensation from school

My guess is Stanford would allocate its emphasis points something like:

Student experience: 50
Sports experience: 50
Compensation: 50

My guess is most Stanford competitors would allocate their emphasis points something like:

Education: 30
Sports Experience: 70
Compensation: 50

Does this seem to reflect reality?

By no means does not allocating as many emphasis points mean the school can't offer something good in that bucket. I firmly believe you get the undergraduate education out that you put in the effort to get, no matter where you are. Stanford can compete with its peers on the NIL front. This is about school emphasis in terms of projecting its culture and values to recruits when they visit campus.

If Stanford and most of its competitors allocate their emphasis this way, it should be relatively easy for Stanford - and people who follow recruiting - to know who is likely going to end up at Stanford and who isn't. To me, when Josh Petty says "total package," Stanford is the only school offering it; that's what the 50-50-50 emphasis would project. I think this tells you Stanford is holding its own on the NIL front too. I could argue Stanford is actually in position to be a more formidable recruiting performer now than ever before.

It also makes me wonder WTF Muir was saying when he said "if players get paid, we are doomed," when he must know the settlement on the House case was and is happening, and what that means. Maybe it is a bait and switch, and the NCAA swine are counting on Congress to outlaw any athlete payments. Oh what a time to be alive.

Ok, this is the football recruiting notes thread for May. For the previous month’s thread, click here.


Stanford has June official visits coming up. Some which start in late May. Click here to see the list of who is planning to visit and also who has recently visited as well unofficially.


Stanford has two 4-stars committed in 2025 in QB Bear Bachmeier and OLB Gabe Kaminski. The class is currently ranked 28th in Rivals’ team rankings. Solid. Needs to improve, but still solid. Right went where the 2024 class ended up at 27th.

Big thing to look for this upcoming month is who else will be confirmed to visit for June. That’s gonna be a big month for Stanford as it is for a lot of schools.

Not the Olympic Trials:

All-Around
1. Brody Malone — 85.95
2. Frederick Richard -- 84.35
3. Donnell Whittenburg -- 83.5
3. Colt Walker -- 83.5
5. Khoi Young — 83.4
5. Shane Wiskus -- 83.4

Asher Hong in 10th after disastrous pommel horse.

Firing this up now. Game starts at 4:00 PM PT on ESPN2. Winner survives. Loser goes home.

Firing this up now. Game is on ESPN today. 4:00 PM PT.

As mentioned in the UCLA game thread by some of you, due to weather, if Stanford wins tonight against Texas, they’ll play Texas tomorrow instead of later today. Obviously gives them a chance to start NiJa Canady both days. That’s huge.

Just as a reminder, there is a sticky thread that is dedicated to offers and visits for both men's hoops and football. That thread is here. I have updated it such that when you click on the respective links, it goes to the 2025 recruiting cycle. So, just another way to stay on top of visits and offers. 👍

Elic Ayomanor listed 7th.

I need something to cheer me up from softball, y’all. We’re seeing tweets about multiple commits, but I haven’t seen …well…credible rumors about names yet. C’mon, somebody knows something…especially something about 4-star guys in the trenches…please?

Read that here.

Where Connelly’s model spits out the ACC/Stanford’s schedule (offense, defense, special teams rankings parenthetically):

10) Notre Dame (10, 9, 53)
12) Florida State (16, 10, 8)
14) Clemson (15, 13, 66)
19) Miami (18, 36, 3)
23) SMU (22, 39, 99)
28) Louisville (57, 23, 64)
29) NC State (56, 25, 15)
32) Virginia Tech (42, 33, 14)
36) TCU (30, 44, 81)
47) Duke (70, 34, 18)
50) North Carolina (36, 65, 46)
52) Cal (34, 88, 129)
63) Georgia Tech (35, 99, 68)
64) Syracuse (73, 54, 86)
75) Boston College (77, 72, 84)
77) Virginia (75, 81, 71)
78) Wake Forest (86, 59, 103)
81) Pitt (97, 53, 88)
84) Stanford (71, 94, 36)
112) San Jose State (100, 101, 130)

Observations:

* Yes, we are expected to be the worst team in the ACC, but what I notice is the traffic jam trying to get out of the basement. Four ACC teams any one of whom it wouldn't be all that surprising for us to better than and six for whom it wouldn't be totally shocking (though it would start to be getting to pretty surprising territory). Not finishing dead last can be one of our modest goals for this year.

* Facing three top 25 teams would feel like a very easy schedule by our historical standards and certainly compared to last year.

* The offense is expected to be mediocre, 12th of 17 ACC teams. Not good but not bad either. Our season-ending offensive SP+ the last three years has been #95, #70, #104. SP+ thinks we are still another year away, at least, from getting to the level of offense we had in the pandemic-shortened year, but nonetheless expects a marked improvement from last year.

* The defense is expected to be bad, 16th of 17 ACC teams. Bad but hey, at least avoid the sub-100 indignity. Our season-ending defensive SP+ the last three years has been #116, #103, #107. SP+ thinks this will be our best defense since at least the pandemic-shortened year. Not a very high bar to clear in recent years considering we've had bad defenses every year for a half decade.

* The special teams is expected to be good, 6th of 17 ACC teams. Not a big advantage but still good. Our season-ending special teams SP+ the last three years has been #36, #18, #22. SP+ is betting our special teams will hold about steady with last year, which itself could be reinforcing a downward trend compared to where we typically were under Alamar's dedicated special teams coaching.

* Overall, our season-ending SP+ the last three years has been #108, #93, #105. At least by this one model there is an indication that 2024 is expected to be our best team since 2020.

Now, as I've said all off-season, we have to be able to hold the thought in our head that this very well could be an improved team - even our best team in four years - and still not win very many games. Here's what our implied win probability would be for each game if both Stanford and the teams we play are at the level SP+ forecasts (using a 2.44 home field advantage, which is what Sagarin calculated was the home field adjustment in 2023 and is relatively high for recent years but it makes sense to me to use a relatively high adjustment given the cross-country travel required for us or our opponents for so many games this year):

TCU - 25 percent

Cal Poly - 100 percent

at Syracuse - 28 percent

at Clemson - 0 percent

Virginia Tech - 22 percent

at Notre Dame - 0 percent

SMU - 17 percent

Wake Forest - 51 percent

at NC State - 12 percent

Louisville - 20 percent

at Cal - 22 percent

at San Jose State - 57 percent

EXPECTED TOTAL WINS: 3.54 WINS

Basically the epitome of a 3.5 win over/under. The bottom line is SP+ thinks we will be improved, our best team in several years, and win three or four games. If one is looking for evidence of progress, it seems pretty straightforward after three straight three win seasons our goal this year should be to win four games.

Read that here.

Team release is here.

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Read that here. Courtesy of Adam Gorney. The relevant player is 2025 four-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola. He just visited Missouri. You can read more about that visit here as well.