If 3 million Iowa residents are paying x amount of dollars in taxes to keep the U of Iowa College up and running.

And the four highest paid state employees work for the college .

Shouldn't athletic tickets at said college be free to long time residents?

Seems like that should make a little bit of sense.

They could still make money on parking, food,drink, TV and radio, all kinds of clothing and chatzkies .

Oh and the " bowl games"

Well how else are they going to pay the coaches eleven million dollars a year?

Jack up tuition rates?

This is like asking a bank, cable/internet provider, cellular service to be accommodating because you've been such a long time user of their services.

College sports, particularly football is big business, have you noticed all the activity recently revolving conference realignment? Its all about the $$$

Most of the coaches salaries are paid with outside money funneled through the university. Boosters, booster clubs, and whichever shoe company pay the bulk. Write a six figure check and they'll let you watch games from the sideline and send the mascot and cheerleaders to your house to sing Happy Birthday while the band plays the song.

Don't forget television. Not exactly a pittance paid by the networks to the conference and the schools.

RMD

Nobody who has given this any amount of actual thought and effort to understand believes that college athletics budgets aren’t almost completely separate from any of the academic institutions.

Come on.

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In the upper division of D1 football, the proceeds fund all the other sports such as soccer, tennis, swimming and lacrosse. Some of what is left over helps fund student scholarships. Most D1 schools LOSE money on sports.