The campus budget is like $3b.
Running a full scale department for a few million seems like a win. Its like a half percent of the budget for a pretty significant department. Is there any department on campus that costs less? I am guessing records storage costs more.
Every time this comes up, it reminds me that the core of the problem with college athletics is the idea that it shouldn't cost money.
Why do we need idiots to come into the school? Because they are good at football, and that makes the department balanced.
Why does UCLA need to leave for the Big10? Because it brings in a few million more dollars, and that helps balance the department.
Why did we give up tradition for a national championship scheme? Because it helps balance the budget.
EVERYTHING wrong with college athletics comes back to the anti-intellectual stance that a department must pay for itself. That is the core of what has to change in athletics.
Cal should be saying "We will spend $100m on college athletics, we will not spend all of our time trying to squeeze $100m back out, we will make it a Cal focused environment start to finish."
