[legomylibrum]

I'm no fan of how enormous college sports have become, but fwiw they are enormous sources of income and despite the extravagant stadiums and suchlike, they often pay for valuable research, courses, and amenities.

What's troubling about them is the exploitation of the student athletes; the ones that make money give a lot back to the university as a whole.

[alistairSH]

Sources for any of that? While some sports (football, men's basketball) are profit centers that can offset the cost of non-revenue sports, that really only applies to the top-tier programs (NCAA Division 1).

I've never heard of university sports programs being major sources of revenue for research or courses (outside of possibly sports-related studies).

[markdown]

I too, find it hard to believe.

If your sports team is making lots of money, you buy better athletes to keep or advance your moneymaking potential.

Capitalism.

[legomylibrum]

I was talking about the top-tier Division 1 schools, mostly because I can't see anybody having a problem with intramural or Division 3 sports. Scholarships aren't awarded, they don't have huge budgets, their coaches generally aren't grossly overpaid, and they're a good way for students to get exercise, meet people, and relax.