Stanford Athletics is attempting to make existing postbaccalaureate opportunities more approachable to athletes, wrote Executive Associate Athletics Director Carter Henderson in a statement to The Daily.

“This spring, efforts were begun to make existing postbaccalaureate opportunities more accessible to athletes,” Henderson wrote. “These opportunities are designed to help qualified students who have completed a bachelor’s degree take advantage of opportunities to prepare themselves for future graduate study opportunities.”

Postbaccalaureate programs are designed to be completed after an undergraduate degree and to support the transition to graduate school. This move could help Stanford increase its transfer portal activity, as graduate athletic transfers will have an alternative route to attend the university other than enrolling in graduate school.  

The Cardinal have increased their transfer portal activity in a variety of sports. The women’s basketball program got its first two undergraduate transfers since 2002, and the men’s basketball program received four players from the transfer portal this year.

This effort by the athletics department could significantly increase the number of transfers that Stanford can accept in the coming years.