Last year, UNI's entire football revenue projection was $1.3 million. Its athletics department carried an overall budget of $14.5 million last year but nearly 46 percent of it ($6.6 million) came from student fees or general funds. Cut some coaching salaries and they'll be fine.
I understand there will be impacts for all schools if there is no football, but I don't think it's the end of college athletics as we know it.
Unfortunately, there will be some that lose jobs, some programs or ancillary sports may get cut, and there will be impacts felt for several years. That is almost without question and unavoidable. Each school will feel it differently both in overall impact and when that impact hits and lasts to.
BUT, most FBS schools can absorb a lot of it with reduced capital expenditures over the next decade (I think long overdue anyways) and a universal reduction in the crazy salaries and budgets. They may even be forced to remember they are there secondarily to support an education.... WHAT? That last part will never happen.
Longer term, the net result could be more responsible Athletic Departments in general and more sustainable programs of every size - spending more within their means rather than putting everything on the line each year financially. And this is coming from a Democrat
The whole sports industry is so financially bloated top to bottom that it's insane. From TV contracts to AD budgets, it's as out of hand as NFL/MLB/NBA salaries. While the short-term will be painful, the long-term may be better with a reset.
This is a lot like the Airline industry that was decimated, bailed out, came back stronger than ever but spent all their profits over the past few years on stock buybacks and are now in dire straits again. At some point, they either need to learn to budget and contingency plan or they need new leaders that can.