<p>Most big-time sports programs pay for themselves.UNC’s basektball program earned $26 million last year (07-08), and without a doubt earned even more this year. A lot of this money was used by the university to fund academic, not athletic, scholarships. Football teams that make postseason appearances earn a ton of money from their bowl games also. In many cases, at NCAA D-1 schools with good programs, the sports bring much more to their universities than they take away. National exposure, a significant cashflow, and increased applications when teams do well.</p>
<p>The people who complain about NCAA D-1 sports being a detratcion to schools are strongly misguided. Yes, it doesn’t make sense to lower standards to recruit a star fencer or field hockey player, but big-name basketball and football teams are very beneficial to their schools.</p>