Why doesn't the University help support athletics financially?

[bonefish1]

No it is just one of many metrics indicating the quality of not only the institution but mainly the quality of who studied there.

When I select a doctor, where they got their medical degree is one of the factors I use in my selection.

I needed a cardiologist so I didn't just pick one out of the yellow pages. I didn't select one of the local ones, many who got their degrees at IU. I selected one who I had to travel over 100 miles to see who got his medical degree from Columbia and was president of the American Heart Association. He was also practicing at a top medical school, Northwestern, which was another factor in my selection.

Purdue has nearly 50,000 students. Some are smart, some aren't. I know plenty of Purdue grads I wouldn't hire.

 

[bonefish1]

Because the Indiana state legislature wisely passed a law many decades ago prohibiting state funded schools from using tuition or state provided monies for athletics. That's also why Purdue is considered a great school and Alabama that heavily subsidizes their sports teams is considered a very poor school for academics.

So, if you were a hiring manager, would you hire a Harvard grad with a C average, a Purdue grad who carried a B average, or an Alabama grad who carried an A average?

 

[MichaelRR]

So, if you were a hiring manager, would you hire a Harvard grad with a C average, a Purdue grad who carried a B average, or an Alabama grad who carried an A average?

Easily the Purdue grad. The Ivy's are infamous for once you are in, you only get Cs or worse for not doing the work or going to class, so he had to really work at slacking off to get that C; and Alabama is just awful as a university.