[OutsiderFan]

Money is fungible.  The issue is that it has to be available to be spent.  Donors determine where dollars go.  If a donor wants his money to go to the football coach, it isn't going to be used on a library, and may not be spent at all if not on the football coach.

As far as public money being spent on sports, I agree it is not sound to allow a public university to fritter away money without producing quality results.  California has failed to do this, but as I said, the attitude of guys like Barsky contribute heavily to California struggling to produce them.  It takes a university-wide commitment for a place like Berkeley to have a football program in the black, and capable of supporting a self-sustaining athletic program.  This is what California's goal is, and why it makes fiscal sense to remove Tedford and pay top dollar for a coach that can field a program capable of driving revenues to the athletic department.

[OutsiderFan]

Money is fungible.  The issue is that it has to be available to be spent.  Donors determine where dollars go.  If a donor wants his money to go to the football coach, it isn't going to be used on a library, and may not be spent at all if not on the football coach.

As far as public money being spent on sports, I agree it is not sound to allow a public university to fritter away money without producing quality results.  California has failed to do this, but as I said, the attitude of guys like Barsky contribute heavily to California struggling to produce them.  It takes a university-wide commitment for a place like Berkeley to have a football program in the black, and capable of supporting a self-sustaining athletic program.  This is what California's goal is, and why it makes fiscal sense to remove Tedford and pay top dollar for a coach that can field a program capable of driving revenues to the athletic department.