(04-03-2020 08:43 AM)ken d Wrote: I think if you pose that question to the university presidents you would get a different answer than you would from fans. The reality is that only a very few schools can consistently be competing for a national championship in football, but if you count the number of schools whose fans believe they can, that number would at least quadruple.
Here's the thing: win 10+ games most years and an occasional New Year's Six bowl - even if you never actually make the playoff, you can sell that as "competing for national championships" in football... fans WILL support that.
By contrast, go 4-8 to 6-6 most years in football while winning trophy cabinets full of championships in women's field hockey, soccer, rowing, tennis, golf, even lacrosse - the president will be happy and maybe a few wealthy alumni will donate, but the average fan will not care and will not buy tickets or support that program at all.
Basketball is a tweener - you get SOME fan support, but it's measure in thousands rather than tens of thousands. (I imagine Lacrosse support is measured in hundreds* - though I don't have accurate Lacrosse attendance figures; tennis attendance might be in the dozens?).
* OK, I'm going too far... the Lacrosse national championships often draw around 30,000+ fans.
2018 Attendance: 30,616 semi-finals; 29,455 finals
The NCAA lists the 2019 Tennis Championship attendance at 6,652 fans.