Even those public institutions are not fully publicly funded and rely on donations, tuition, and a variety of other revenue streams to operate. Those streams m

Even those public institutions are not fully publicly funded and rely on donations, tuition, and a variety of other revenue streams to operate. Those streams may include revenues generated from sports, which means those athletes playing for schools with highly successful programs end up playing a key role in ensuring their schools are financially stable. As noted in this article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristidosh/2017/06/12/the-biggest-misconceptions-about-the-finances-of-college-sports/?sh=46c5dcd1366f https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristidosh/2017/06/12/the-bigge... > At many universities I polled, the university and athletic department split licensing revenue 50/50. So, even if the sweatshirt sold in the bookstore is specifically branded for the football program, that money is divided between the university and athletics. If you want a fully publicly funded system with no private dollars flowing in to support it, elect politicians who will make that happen. Unfortunately, in the US, that's simply not the way the system works today.