Stanford Varsity Fencing is Still Alive

[RavRita]

There seems to be a lot of talk about the possible demise of Stanford Varsity Fencing Program. A committee has been set up several months ago to "Save Stanford Fencing." The Committee is comprised of fencers, fencing parents, Stanford Faculty, Stanford Alumni and community people. We are working very hard to save the only DIV I Fencing program on the West Coast. We have raised money and awareness - the Fencing Community has been wonderful with letters of support to the administration, donations, ideas and volunteering their time.

Stanford Varsity Fencing is still thriving and still needs your help to continue to thrive. For the most current information on how the Save Stanford Fencing Campaign is going - log into our website www.savestanfordfencing.com. We also have a "cause" on Face Book, Save Stanford Fencing, as of today we have 575 people from all around the world saying that they support the Save Stanford Fencing campaign - sign in and join. Fencing at Stanford has been going on for a very long time - we are working hard to help it continue for generations to come.

Thank you for your continued support.

www.savestanfordfencing.com

[Craig]

Thanks for the update.

Craig

[seven6ty]

Hmm, I had heard that they dropped down to a club team, leaving Air Force as the only Div I school in the Western Conference.

Good to hear otherwise.

[MdA]

As an Air Force Academy graduate and fencer, I have many fond memories of fencing Stanford. We always considered Stanford our major fencing rival in the West Region and a worthy and highly-regarded opponent. There were many hard-fought contests over the years but, always in the end the fencers of both programs treated each other with respect and admiration…not only as fencers but as fellow students. We were the young fledgling institution in those days …compared to Stanford with its rich history and reputation.

I remember looking forward to escaping the often bitter cold of the “Dark Ages” which is what we cadets called January and February in Colorado Springs…..for the warmer confines of Palo Alto. It was nice to get out of my parka for a few days.

I would hate to lose the Stanford varsity fencing program. This would be a great loss for collegiate varsity fencing and I am afraid this would tip the balance against varsity fencing programs in the West and the Midwest. I would hate for college fencing to become…once again….an East Coast only sport…like the early days of the IFA. This wouldn’t be good for American fencing….like so many other things…this is heading in the wrong direction.

This will ultimately undermine part of our Olympic fencing efforts by reducing educational opportunities for our top fencers. They will need to rely even more on private funding to sustain their personal goals while going for the Olympics. Why can’t the USOC, USFA, or the NCAA do something to help Stanford? This would also seem to be a top priority for the NCAA Fencing Committee….losing Stanford from the Western region would really screw up the NCAA qualifier slots…by reducing the number of participating schools in the West …

If the Stanford Athletic department is really hurting that much…you would think that the NCAA could float them a loan for a couple years to avoid screwing up the entire NCAA fencing program.

[seven6ty]

Nobody has offered to help out the other formerly Div I schools in the West, so I doubt that would happen.

[Mr.MightyMouse]

Why can’t the USOC, USFA, or the NCAA do something to help Stanford? This would also seem to be a top priority for the NCAA Fencing Committee….losing Stanford from the Western region would really screw up the NCAA qualifier slots…by reducing the number of participating schools in the West …

If the Stanford Athletic department is really hurting that much…you would think that the NCAA could float them a loan for a couple years to avoid screwing up the entire NCAA fencing program.

Great question, isn't esteemed Mr.O in charge of USFA/NCAA task force?

[Mr.MightyMouse]

Nobody has offered to help out the other formerly Div I schools in the West, so I doubt that would happen.

True but lack of precedent should not preclude the presence of common sense, no?

[MdA]

Nobody has offered to help out the other formerly Div I schools in the West, so I doubt that would happen.

We bailed out the Banks…..and GM…..

[KShan5[PrFC]]

I was under the impression that the Stanford program needs to raise a significant amount of money (multiple millions of dollars) within the year or they were going to lose their team. Of course, I have no real basis for this claim besides rumor and speculation....

[oiuyt]

Great question, isn't esteemed Mr.O in charge of USFA/NCAA task force?

Sunil Sabharwal is the chair of that committee.

-B

[edew]

We bailed out the Banks…..and GM…..

They were too big to fail.

[Mr.MightyMouse]

Sunil Sabharwal is the chair of that committee.

-B

sorry

pretty sure he does not chill on these boards

[MdA]

Nobody has offered to help out the other formerly Div I schools in the West, so I doubt that would happen.

…bear with me while I take another trip down memory lane. I remember when those trips to California with the Air Force team would include meets against San Francisco State, UC Santa Cruz, San Jose State…and of course Joe Redman would bring Cal State Long Beach up to meet us.

I remember fencing in the gym at San Francisco State ….and the sandy wood floors at Santa Cruz.

Those varsity teams are all gone now…and we have reached another line in the sand at Stanford.

Stanford has been a pretty good corporate citizen, as far as the NCAA is concerned. They have won the Director’s Cup many times for excellence in many sports…not just a few. But now fencing is on the chopping block….again.

Many of the other programs I mentioned were victims of economic downturns. I think the “Save Stanford Fencing Foundation” is taking the right approach. If they can raise the operating funds for the next couple years…..perhaps they can survive the storm. The recent past has shown that when the economy recovers, these athletic administrators never restart their varsity fencing programs.

If this isn’t the time to take some extraordinary steps to save Stanford and College fencing, then when will it be? Maybe Stanford is too big to fail.

[Fiat Slug]

Guys, as much as I hate to see a fencing powerhouse go under, we also have to put things into perspective here. GM* was on the verge of bankruptcy and it's credit ratings reflect that the company was about to default on it's loans. Stanford, by contrast, has top-notch credit rating. This means that Stanford can easily go out to the financial markets and raise money via debt instruments. Stanford does not need a loan from the NCAA.

Stanford is trying to get donations. I think we all understand that money received via donations is more desirable than money received via loans. Considering that the folks at Stanford are pretty sharp, I suspect that this point is not lost on them.

* I'm not necessarily agreeing with the GM bailout, just commenting that Stanford is in a far stronger position to raise money. I also suspect that many more Stanford alumni will donate to Stanford than GM alumni will donate to GM.

.

[MdA]

Guys, as much as I hate to see a fencing powerhouse go under, we also have to put things into perspective…. ……just commenting that Stanford is in a far stronger position to raise money. I also suspect that many more Stanford alumni will donate to Stanford than GM alumni will donate to GM.

I am trying to put things into perspective……I think this is bigger than just Stanford. If they don’t raise the money….it will hurt all of College Fencing.

When I was the coach at Air Force, I had to endure the same thing. They wanted to cut the fencing team and we saved it. We did it with alumni support….as you suggest…. and I had to do the math.

I convinced them that it would cost more to send my 60 cadet fencers to intramurals….fortunately, at the Academies, it is required that all cadets participate in sports…varsity or intramural.

I have realized, years later, that I was not just fighting for my alma mater’s varsity fencing program. If Air Force would have dropped, I believe, we would have reached this point much sooner. We must now fight hard for every varsity program.

[MdA]

Sunil Sabharwal is the chair of that committee.

-B

...and by the way. What is he doing, as chair of the NCAA Task Force? I haven't seen a committee report in years.

[edew]

[...]

* I'm not necessarily agreeing with the GM bailout, just commenting that Stanford is in a far stronger position to raise money. I also suspect that many more Stanford alumni will donate to Stanford than GM alumni will donate to GM.

.

Genetically modified alums are always a poor bet for donations. They generally won't match up.

[oiuyt]

...and by the way. What is he doing, as chair of the NCAA Task Force? I haven't seen a committee report in years.

It was created last year as the Scholastic/Collegiate Task Force.* Sunil was not a member at that time, but was put on (and in charge of) the group in September. There has not been a Board meeting at which to report since his appointment.

-B

* Granted it did not report last year for various reasons. Largely I believe this can be attributed to a lack of clear target goal(s) resulting in little actual movement as it remained a back-burner item on the TO DO list of most or all members of the Task Force. I will accept a fair amount of the blame for that failing, but it should not be put on Sunil to any degree.

[fdad]

...and by the way. What is he doing, as chair of the NCAA Task Force? I haven't seen a committee report in years.

He must be working on a secret project with the YDC.

[edew]

Actually, I think Sunil will be resigning that position to take on the HPD role while Michael Pederson will become the new chair of the NCAA task force. In that case, Kurt will then be the new acting interim WF National Coach while Brad and Christine will be the interim acting ED on alternate weeks. Kalle will run a slot-left post pattern to the flat while the VPs will cover the paint against Kobe. Dana will exercise a put option for $20 on various biotech stocks. Did I miss anyone else?