Having to restructure their $280 M stadium renovation debt, Wilner article in Seattle Times.
After working through all finagling, turns out that only Oregon actually made a surplus last year:

https://www.seattletimes.com/sports...+debt+before+Big+Ten+move_4_18_2024&utm_term=

Men: Wazzu's Center rim-protector Chenyelu to Florida

Women: Villanova's shooter Olsen to Iowa

both were hoped to... perhaps/fingers-crossed... be considering Stanford

Nope.

Read that here.

Read that here.

Really unusual for a college athlete to set a WR.

Pre-game write up is here.

11-10... final in Sunday's game 3. Cards & Beavs rotated go-aheads twice in a tight game loaded with dramatic moments. Freshmen pitchers come through in 3rd game.

Per the SF “Comical.”

Read that here.

Read that here.

Per Stanford WBB X Account. Kate Paye is in negotiations with Stanford to take over. Jacob got his wish.

Congrats to Tara on a 45 year career (38 at Stanford) and 3 natty's.

Ouch!.... both DeBeers & Gardiner, among 4 starters departing thru the portal
I feel for the Beavs:...

I have lots of questions about NIL, specifically at Stanford, but also more generally. For starters:

First of all, is this an endowment? What exactly are the fund-raising channels and what role does the University play in these?

Who decides what to offer existing players, potential recruits and transfers? On what basis? What exactly is the relationship between the role of the NIL decision makers and the coaches? How do we address different priorities the coach and the NIL folks may have?

Is NIL money "budgeted" on a top down basis for each sport? (FB gets X% of the pool, MBB gets Y%, WBB gets Z%, etc.) ...or is NIL money determined on a bottoms up basis, so that, for example, if WBB happens to have three All-Americans one year they may get a much bigger percentage of the pool than a year in which there are not any noteworthy names with a national brand?

How is Stanford NIL money allocated outside of the Big 3 sports?

Are all NIL money agreements just for one year? Does NIL money get renegotiated every year? Whenever an athlete's situation changes dramatically?

What sort of strategic and long-terms goals does NIL money have to satisfy?

Read that here.

all hearsay, but saw on Wazzu board that apparently Shaw coming down to Stanford on Sunday... hopefully we'll hear soon. Don't know details of his contract with Wash St, but apparently, even though he was turned down by Wash St for the HC job, he nevertheless remained there to work with the guys on the team. I'm still greedy. Want him along with Rev!

Read that here.

Am a little tired of all the run Iowa's Clark is getting (plus, Bueckers is growing on me as forgotten/comeback player) - so had very mild rooting interest in UConn winning tonight. But I have to admit that real time, I thought the late screen was definitely illegal. SVP is going WAY over the top in his criticism of that call; plus, they keep showing the view from scorer's table, which downplays the moving nature of the block. The camera angles shown (i) on broadcast real time, and (ii) from under the UConn hoop) show that the screen was moving. At least that's my take.

Sucks that it went down that way; but, I don't think it was even the wrong call, let alone an egregious one.

SVP (in particular), needs to let it go. He's looking too much like a "homer" fan, instead of sports anchor on national show.

P.S. Impressed with the non-stars from both teams, with Iowa having just a bit more. Good game. Better than championship game, I suspect, as South Carolina is just rolling right now.

Unsurprisingly, her prepared remarks were pitch perfect and hit all the right notes, mostly gratitude to many different constituencies, led (of course) by the women who suited up for Stanford.

Thought I detected a choke-up (briefly) here and there, particularly when talking about players and former players; but overall, coach was composed and graceful and carried herself with dignity and professionalism. Again, not surprising.

Last comment: Tara is an example of treating people right and having it all circle back. The Q&A post-prepared statement were laced with gratitude, admiration, and love (not to get too sappy).

Thanks for everything, coach; and best of luck.

P.S. Tara talked about Kiki as if she would be here next year. Here's hoping that plays out like that.

P..P.S. Would love a report on Banquet (and am kicking myself for not RSVPing yes). Oh well . . .

Amid all the sports that Stanford has on campus, it can be easy to forget about the Stanford dodgeball team, which has dominated the Pac-12 for decades and entertained fans at Burnham Pavilion & Ford Center. This year, they were no exception as they dominated the competition all season long, winning another NCAA championship. With their move to the ACC, the Cardinal are hoping to add some fresh talent to their squad and they have done just that with the addition of 5-star phenom Peter La Fleur, Jr.

In case that name rings a bell, it should. Back in 2004, La Fleur’s father Peter La Fleur, Sr. led Average Joe’s Gym to an improbable ADAA (American Dodgeball Association of America) championship, defeating the Globo Gym Purple Cobras in the championship game to save their gym and inspire a new generation of dodgeball players.

As for his mother Katherine “Kate” Veatch, she was on that Average Joe’s team and ended up marrying La Fleur not long after their championship. A couple years later, Peter La Fluer, Jr. was born and as they say, the rest is history.

Inheriting the amazing focus and resolve of his father and the powerful arm of his mother, La Fleur, Jr. has emerged as the top dodgeball prospect in the nation, ranked number one in the 2024 class by all dodgeball scouting services.

“He’s like nothing we’ve ever seen,” one scout said. “He’s got cat-like quickness and the ability to get anyone out from anywhere on the floor. He can play both on the wing and in the middle with ease and dominate at both positions. He’s an amazing talent that only comes around once in this game. He’s the closest thing our sport has had to a LeBron James.”

While he’s inherited great genes from his parents and been taught well, La Fleur, Jr. acknowledges that he wouldn’t be where he is had the legendary Patches O'Houlihan not inspired his father to play the game in the first place. O’Houlihan is considered the greatest dodgeball player ever, a seven time ADAA all-star who coached Average Joe’s until his untimely death in which he was crushed to death by a sign that read “Luck of the Irish.” La Fleur, Jr. has a tattoo of a four-leaf clover on his left arm to serve as a reminder of who O’Houlihan was and what he means to his entire family.

“While I never met Patches, he is the reason I play this game,” La Fleur said with a tear in his eye. “My father and mother have taught me so much and I’m eternally grateful for all the sacrifices they’ve made for me. But, I realize that without Patches, they would never gotten into the game in the first place. He was such an amazing player and even better person. He truly cared about making everyone the best they could be.”

Some of O’Houlihan’s coaching methods have drawn criticism from fans and those in the media. He used to have players dodge traffic and flying wrenches in order to hone their skills. While sometimes players got critically injured, La Fleur, Jr. understands what O’Houlihan was about. He’s embraced those same drills and feels like that’s really taken his game to another level.

“Dodging traffic at first was scary,” La Fleur, Jr. admitted. “I thought I was going to die. But then I got the hang of it and now I know I can dodge anything. A flying wrench to the face hurts, but once you learn how to avoid it, it makes a flying ball look so much slower and easy to dodge. I wouldn’t be where I am without having endured a little pain.”

“Patches was such a great friend,” La Fleur, Sr. added. “What he means to my family and the entire dodgeball community cannot be overstated. It’s an honor to have my son carry on his legacy of athletic and academic excellence.”

As for why he chose Stanford, La Fleur said it was easy. The combination of elite academics and the chance to play college dodgeball at the highest level really appealed to him. Compared to his other offers, Stanford stood out from the competition.

“Stanford has it all,” La Fleur said. “I can get an education at the top university in the world and also play dodgeball for the top program in the nation. What’s not to like? At some point that dodgeball is going to stop flying at me and when it does, I want to be able to find success in the next chapter of my life.”

Given his abilities to dodge wrenches and traffic, La Fleur, Jr. has an interest in studying physics and plans to major in it once he comes to The Farm. He took AP Physics in high school and got a perfect 5 on the AP test. That really helped him get admitted to Stanford and stand out from other applicants.

“I’ve always been fascinated by physics and learning about how things move and why they move the way they do,” La Fleur said. “It really helps me become a better dodgeball player because I’m able to calculate the proper velocity by which I need to get a player out. I can also read the velocity of a ball coming at me and know where I need to bend my body in order to avoid getting hit. It’s been really helpful to study.”

As far as where his favorite spot on campus is, La Fleur, Jr. said he loves the CoHo, a favorite coffee house on campus. He loves the variety of selections of food and drinks they have to choose from and the overall vibe. He hopes that one day, he too can have a caricature of himself on their wall of famous alumni.

“It would be awesome if I could make that kind of impact on Stanford,” La Fleur said of the possibility of having a caricature of himself end up in the CoHo. “I don’t think anyone from the dodgeball team has made it up there and I want to change that. We’re just as good of athletes as anyone on campus.”

That said, La Fleur knows he has to work really hard to achieve that level of fame and impact at Stanford. He’s motivated to being the best he can be, even if he has to resort to some unorthodox methods to find success.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to become the best,” La Fleur said. “Stanford is all about excellence and that’s what I’m about, too. People will think I’m crazy for trying to dodge traffic on Palm Drive. I don’t care. They can laugh. That’s why they’re not doing what I’m doing.”

When asked about NIL and what kind of deal he thinks he can secure from Lifetime Cardinal, La Fleur is optimistic that the collective takes dodgeball seriously. He’s looking forward to marketing himself on campus and making the most of all that Stanford can offer to build his brand.

“With Stanford, anything is possible,” La Fleur said. “If I can dodge a wrench, I can do anything. The sky is the limit. I can’t wait to see what doors open up for me and how I take my brand to the next level. I really hope to see my face on the billboard on El Camino right across from Town & Country Village.”

Regarding the dorm conditions at Stanford, La Fleur finds that to be one of Stanford’s strongest selling points. He’s not sure if he’s going to room at Branner Hall or Crothers Hall, but regardless, he’s confident that he’s going to have a great dorm that is easily accessible with all the amenities that he needs.

“I heard some guy freaked out about his dorm and split for Cal,” La Fleur said with a laugh. “That’s crazy. These dorms are amazing. Very clean, comfortable, and easy to access. There’s nothing to dislike about the dorms and if anything, it might be the best reason to come to Stanford outside of the amazing education and weather. Certainly much better than Telegraph Commons.”

All in all, Stanford appears to be a great fit for Peter La Fleur, Jr. and he in turn appears to be a great fit for Stanford. It’ll be exciting to see what he brings to The Farm and what kind of impact he makes both on the dodgeball court and also on the university as a whole.

P.S. Hope you all enjoyed this year’s April Fool’s post!

Instead of $250k/yr, why don’t we offer incoming recruits $1m* paid out 5% each consecutive year the player is enrolled at Stanford with the remaining 75-85% paid out upon graduation.

Players get paid still, less disruption vs transferring multiple times in search of best one-year deal, and predictability that the ~half who, definitionally, underperform their recruiting profiles don’t get run off.

University gets to claim moral high ground - we’re making sense of this new chaotic system and incenting graduation. Huge PR advantage if we’re first to offer this and brand along lines of 40-year decision.

Collective gets predictability. YoY expenses will be smoother as roster sizes are relatively constant, vs dependent on if we happen to sign/retain a few stars in a given cycle.

Program gets lock-in, as at 50k/50k/50k/850k, average contract value is 250k entering, but 318k for last 3 yrs, 450k for last 2 years and 850k for last year. So if State U wants to poach a breakout player, they’re going to have to pay 125-300+% of our average rate. And they’d get to develop their players in their system over years, which should lead to better performance vs schools with more turnover. Finally, offering $1m is easily understandable and should help with recruiting vs one-year NIL schools.

Seems like a win-win for everyone. What am I missing?

*(No idea of going rates, just chose a round number.)

https://www.espn.com/womens-college...-basketball-way-too-early-top-25-2024-25-poll

We are listed at 9th, with other ACC schools: Notre Dame (3), NC St (8), Duke (11), UNC (14), Louisville (15), FL St (18). Other schools of interest: USC (5), UCLA (6), OR St (12), Utah (24)

Read that here.

I find myself wanting to dump on Muir in virtually every thread on this board. I'm sure many of y'all feel the same way. So I had this idea to create one catchall thread to gripe about and call out everyone's least inspiring empty suit Athletic Director, as way of grinding whatever axe that comes to mind.

Maybe having this one thread will reduce the Muir content in the other threads? I guess we'll find out.

Read that here. They're on quite a roll right now. Frightening.