[needle]

  But in the Ivy League and at other wealthy universities like Stanford, where he believes most athletic benefits to the University are non-pecuniary, Schwarz says cuts have more to do with preferences for who gets into the school. “I don’t think Dartmouth, or Brown, or Stanford needed to cut the sports if they felt they were generating benefits,” he says. It’s more a matter of deciding, for example, whether the university would rather accept 10 robotics enthusiasts or 10 golfers. Sports like golf, skiing, squash, and equestrian (all cut by Brown), which don’t seem to add racial or economic diversity to the student body, are increasingly likely to be dropped.

https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2020/08/...tic-future

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FWIW, I do think finances are a major consideration, especially given that we're in a period of uncertainty regarding what compensation for college athletes will look like.

[needle]

  But in the Ivy League and at other wealthy universities like Stanford, where he believes most athletic benefits to the University are non-pecuniary, Schwarz says cuts have more to do with preferences for who gets into the school. “I don’t think Dartmouth, or Brown, or Stanford needed to cut the sports if they felt they were generating benefits,” he says. It’s more a matter of deciding, for example, whether the university would rather accept 10 robotics enthusiasts or 10 golfers. Sports like golf, skiing, squash, and equestrian (all cut by Brown), which don’t seem to add racial or economic diversity to the student body, are increasingly likely to be dropped.

https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2020/08/...tic-future

+++

FWIW, I do think finances are a major consideration, especially given that we're in a period of uncertainty regarding what compensation for college athletes will look like.