I don’t disagree, but I’m not a fan of writing off students and their experience. In the end, they are the consumer, notwithstanding, the fact that mom and dad are often writing the checks. Part of the selling point for a university which participates in major sports, and is successful, is that unmatched atmosphere of being at a game. I know that that was a specific criteria for one of my kids. They wanted that. The other thing to keep in mind, perhaps, more importantly, is today’s college student is tomorrow’s alumnus. If you don’t suck kids in to being a fan, why they are at college, the athletics department will be in a death spiral because their largest source of future fans will die out.
Those are things that would be foolhardy to forget. It’s kind of a marketing 101 thing.