People are like "why would these supposedly pro business Republicans be cutting funding for public universities that are huge economic growth engines" and like look at how the richest states vote and how the poorest states vote. If you were a Republican would you want your state to become wealthier?
Both Arizona and Georgia have gone from being safe Republican states to purple-blue because they really have experienced quick growth in good jobs. Meanwhile West Virginia has suffered something like an economic collapse and is more conservative than any time in its history. Easy call!
Conservatives love money. There aren’t as many conservative profs because education doesn’t pay. They don’t want to cut funding. Conservative admins get more money while courting students who’ll pay bag to make bag. Real educators are pushed aside for influencers sponsored by right-wing think tanks.
They do want to cut funding and have cut funding to catastrophic levels, though. Whole humanities departments completely gutted, especially, but entire colleges within flagship universities have been shut down. Very intentionally. Conservative profs also get endowed chairs on top of salaries.
They want to create diploma mills that churn out yuppie scum. (I’m a GenXer. That’s what we called them in my day.) It’s all about turning it into a business. So, fewer workers, ass kissing middle management, and over-paid CEOs. Donors get free interns and conservative clones.
Part of the appeal of college football is that it's about an older male authority figure disciplining (often cruelly) young people into performing his will
White coaches and minority players. And mainly football. Even high school football is crazy here. Know a school system where the high school football coach made more than the superintendent.
