Football alone essentially funds the department. And THIS is why a winning program is so important.
This is why NIL, conference realignment, TV deals, and donor support have become such massive conversations. The stakes are no longer just wins and losses. It’s economic survival and competitive positioning.
But that doesn’t mean the other sports “don’t matter.” It means the reality of modern college athletics is that success in football and men’s basketball determines the financial health of the entire university athletic ecosystem.
Conversations need to be had