Sports caters to spectators. People can watch football and basketball. They can't go to the chemistry department and watch a gifted student research. Professors may feel slighted, but I believe their work is so much more important than whether our teams are winning or losing. Some people may say that sports fans are idolatrous, but I don't think I would say that.
Sports are just more fun to watch.
God has given us all a gift. Whether it's basketball, baseball, or softball, to God be the glory. If sports are the vehicles that are most popular in America, we ought to be using them for Him. Universities will also tell you that alumni giving goes up in universities where an athletic program is succeeding. A lot of that alumni giving would then turn around and go to other areas.