Several points:

One, college athletics are a separate entity from college academics. The choice to pay a coach x dollars doesn't impact the choice to fund cancer research. We're talking entertainment dollars. If I get sick of college sports, my alternative is not give money to cure cancer, it'll be for other entertainment offerings.

Second, beware of what you wish for. College football is the cash cow that funds college athletics across the board. Were football revenues to bottom out, every college sport will take it in the chin.

Third, plenty of research has been done about the overall positive effect for college athletics. P5 schools draw the best students because its part of the college experience.

Is college sports mega-business? Absolutely. But what am I watching on TV on Saturday afternoon? Not some documentary on science research. Yeah, that's more interesting then the Army/Navy game or the ACC Championship.