Well you bring up a tough call. I go to Virginia Tech so when it comes to sport spending, the millions that get poured into school sports sometimes seems excessive when looking at the university's budget.
What I have definitely noticed is the caliber of the school is immediately increased with the type of public visibility sports teams have. I credit the football team for getting people to make subconscious decisions on my future degree.
When it comes to scholarships it is another two way street again... You don't get top athleats without scholarships. Period. There is a cycle that feeds the system.
My solution is to keep sports the way they are and increase availability for other academic scholarships.
Welcome to steem!