http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...tudy-finds
This article opens a can of worms for everything from 'true' cost of those athletic scholarships, etc.
One thing which is never apparent in any discussion of college football is Title IX.
Drop football and a school can also drop a few women's sports which exist primarily for Title IX considerations.
That said, most sports, called 'non-revenue' are truly non-revenue. Football because it involve the College Football Playoff, television and media rights, road game guarantees, etc. can produce significant income even with modest home gate income.
Bottom line question: In the MAC, does BASEBALL cost more than football? (baseball has large squads to travel across the country and also almost no income except what they get for going on the road).
Facilities, kind of an off-budget item, is a big issue for football. Sure basketball has an arena, etc. but that is used by men, women and other sports.