Thankfully, for her, there are 50 other states, the majority of which ALSO have state run universities with significant division I athletics. Have any of THEM attempted this idea, or even considered it ? I feel like the answer to that question is a resounding NO.
Maybe, just maybe, major college athletics has been a part of the "university experience" for a century or more. Maybe, if she looked into it a bit, she might find that the prestige of the UConn athletic programs actually PRE-DATED significant upgrades to the university and it's academic programs.
I mean, once you accept the premise that one of the goals of a state government is to further the education of the state's residents and others (which in itself is a mammoth expense) it's hard to make a cogent argument against D1 athletics, without making the same argument against all athletics, D3 or otherwise.