I know it's not the real answer but I just pretend it's necessary for the sports to bring in the big bucks to fund the massively inflated coach salaries in a giant "chicken and egg" scam where each side of the equation justifies the cost of the other side as part of the same huge fucking scam
As someone from outside the US I've always found it baffling that not only does Yankee universities have official sports teams, those teams are also professional teams with huge money involved.
When I went to university, the athletic high point of the year was student unions doing a beer race in inflatable boats on the campus pond.
One time, my university put on a massive prop-laden and super expensive "homecoming party" for some very important millionaire sportsball coach, with many buildings on campus decorated garishly to tickle his narcissism. This happened the same year that budget cuts were actively fucking over students with tuition hikes and the like.
I know it's not the real answer but I just pretend it's necessary for the sports to bring in the big bucks to fund the massively inflated coach salaries in a giant "chicken and egg" scam where each side of the equation justifies the cost of the other side as part of the same huge fucking scam
As someone from outside the US I've always found it baffling that not only does Yankee universities have official sports teams, those teams are also professional teams with huge money involved.
When I went to university, the athletic high point of the year was student unions doing a beer race in inflatable boats on the campus pond.
One time, my university put on a massive prop-laden and super expensive "homecoming party" for some very important millionaire sportsball coach, with many buildings on campus decorated garishly to tickle his narcissism. This happened the same year that budget cuts were actively fucking over students with tuition hikes and the like.