>>The reality is that every alumni benefits from a good sports program whether they want to admit it or not. 

No they don’t. Sports are popular with a select demographic. That demographic is not your employer, nor your industry. Office banter and bragging rights are not the same as professional skillsets. Alumni benefit from networking, academic program ranking, etc., not national championships.

>>This is the case with many top notch schools that have no basketball or football.

O rly? So Yale, Harvard, MIT…

>>Barring a few exceptions national sports is a must to market yourself as a quality top tier university.

Just no. So tell me off the top of you head (and not with Google) what academic and research programs are at the University at Alabama? Or Texas Tech?

I bet you’re just the best in an interview. “You went to Long Beach State!? 2018 NCAA Mens Volleyball Champions! You’re hired!”

>>I personally think they should keep everything the way it is and simply charge an extra $100-300 per student for this purpose. I paid my own way and I would have paid it.

So why not spend that money on… a ticket to the game? Why are you forcing everyone to buy a ticket and not giving them a bleacher to sit in?

>>I know that would never happen because the brethren are determined to keep the tuition low which means they are probably doing the right thing.

Yet you keep typing…

>>Still, BYU students are almost paying community college rates

Yes, it’s so the Church doesn’t burden those students with debt… amazing to see them practice what they preach!

>>for a top 50 education and I can't imagine what the athletics and school could do with and extra $3-9 million each year.

Squander it. Hahaha, jokes aside, every school thinks this. And every school want more money for bigger and better facilities, coaches, etc. It’s an arms race. There will never be ‘enough’ money.

The plain and simple truth is you could add thousand a year and BYU would still be a BARGAIN

I actually agree with you there.

>>Those who complain have obviously not looked at the going rate anywhere else.

When I chose BYU, for both my degree, you better believe it was for the low tuition. Other factors helped, however take this example. I could have gone to UC Santa Barbra for grad school. They raised tuition that year I started my Masters by 33%. That was in-state rates too. The increase alone at UCSB paid for an entire semester at BYU. I am eternally grateful for not having to go into debt for my schooling. Most BYU students work jobs to pay for cost of living if not tuition. Most graduate with little to no debt. Seeing how student debt is surpassing credit card debt, BYU is right to fight costs everywhere and give its newly minted alumni the biggest leg up in life; debt free!