If it were not for BYU athletics (basketball, track, football), we would not have had the likes of Ziggy Ansah, and other international athletes who have gone on to build bridges between BYU and their home country.
Because BYU athletics is not funded with tithing, it is not only self-sufficient, but also adds to the overall mission of BYU.
Remove athletics, and the “net add” to BYU decreases, both domestically and internationally.