Conference realignment is high-stakes poker. It is a matter of prestige, of revenue, of visibility and of prominence.
Stanford University, widely viewed as a premier academic institution in the United States, does not seem like a school which would — or should — comfortably accept relegation to the Mountain West or AAC. That would seem to be beneath the Cardinal. Their world-class women’s basketball program and their many other championship-level programs in Olympic sports deserve better.
Stanford resides in the prominent San Francisco Bay Area television market, which is supposed to carry considerable value for television networks and streaming outlets.
People will say, “But Stanford football sucks right now.” It does, but a decade ago, Stanford made three Rose Bowls in a four-year span and won two of them. The Cardinal can be very good with the right coach. Beyond that, Stanford has financial resources and enjoys strong academic standing and a cultural fit presidents and chancellors would envy.
The question is obvious: Why hasn’t Stanford already parlayed its advantages into a Power Five conference home? Why are the Cardinal still looking for a solution? It’s time for the school to play some poker. Serious poker.
Can this school play its cards right? Let’s explore some options.