Aside from the two big revenue sports, how important is fan engagement and revenue generation? Are sports programs like golf, the U ski team, and cross country supposed to engage with fans and generate revenue somehow, or are they more about student athlete experiences and overall university reputation?

For some sports programs, nor referring specifically to BYU, it almost seems like programs are annoyed by the idea of people following the team. For example, on a running forum I’ve seen people called weird for following the careers and performances of college athletes, as opposed to just the pros.

Thoughts?