Ry Rivard in the Charleston Daily Mail has an interesting piece today on the athletic costs shouldered by students at West Virginia's two Division I Universities. Marshall students pay $890 a year to athletics fees while at WVU each student only pays $157. The astounding thing is that that fee comprises a fifth of the tuition paid by a Marshall student. That seems outrageous to me, in that 'should sports really matter that much?!?!' kind of way. That said, it makes sense, as the article points out that WVU brings in considerably more dough than Marshall, primarily thanks to its BCS conference standing. At WVU students shoulder less of the load, because the athletics are considerably more profitable.
↵I will also point out, as someone who has paid student fees to the University very recently, that those figures are skewed. In fact, WVU students who want to go to the games actually pay an additional level of fees for those privileges. I'm guessing the study got their $157 figure from the fees that are impossible to opt out of (of which there are many). Long story short: pay the fees, Mountaineer Students, and be happy you get to go to real bowl games.