I mean it's been this way for 30 years. The same outrage articles appeared during the Rick era. News at 11.
The #1 thing that most Washington state taxpayers know about their state government funded institutions of UW and WSU is the performance of the football team at each university. Seems like a logical investment for the politicians to pay the coaches.
(This was far more relevant 20-30 years ago but still)
It’s outrage clickbait for the uneducated population. The majority of people think a school’s football team is funded by the school/taxpayer $ and don’t know that the AD is a completely separate financial entity from the school.
If we're here to bash outrage clickbait for the unwashed masses then I'm fucking out.