<p>What is fascinating is that success in basketball (generally) can be had without corrupting the university mission as with football. Take for example Duke University or Stanford - the only two schools in the USNWR top 10 offering Div. 1 athletic scholarships. These schools can accomodate 2/3 players a year (and Duke and Stanford may not have that many) that have “old” SAT scores below a 1000 and who have otherwise marginal academic skills. But football - that requires admitting 20 such students - and with these numbers, it means not just getting them through school or eligible, it also means having majors and classes that these kids can pass. 20 marginal students - just don’t easily find a home at a Duke or Stanford (or a Notre Dame) for that matter. So basketball just makes a lot of sense - and I can see why the AD’s at top schools see it as a wise investment.</p>