“This is a game-changing gift for Stanford,” said President Jonathan Levin in the release. “It will help us to recruit top talent and compete at the highest level. Brad’s generosity and commitment to football will benefit our entire athletics department, as excellence in football will support success across all 36 varsity sports.”
“With Brad’s incredible gift, we are positioned to win on the field and build a bridge to a sustainable future for Stanford football,” added general manager and Cardinal legend Andrew Luck. “The ability to support our players through new scholarships and institutional NIL will reinforce Stanford as the preeminent place in the country to be a football scholar-athlete.”
One of the most common questions I’ve gotten from people over the past few years, both in private conversations and on podcasts/radio shows is how serious is Stanford about competing in this new era of NIL. I’ve been steadfast in my belief that Stanford does want to compete at the highest level and that there are people in their community that are willing to help make that happen. This gift by Freeman proves that.
As an extension of that, Stanford really cares about their entire athletic department. As Levin said, this gift will help out the entire department as football is what drives everything. When football is doing well, all the varsity sports on campus benefit. While Stanford cares deeply about all their athletic programs and winning national championships across the board, they know how crucial football is to the success of their entire athletic ecosystem.
Looking ahead, it’ll be interesting to see not only what impact this gift has on Stanford football, but how much more money is poured into the program in the coming years. Given all the money Stanford has access to, they have a real chance to be a serious player in this new NIL era. Programs around the country better take notice: Stanford is serious about winning and they’re willing to invest whatever it takes.
Note: Cardinal Sports Report has you covered for all the latest news on Stanford as they begin the Andrew Luck era.
