“Archery, bowling, darts, baseball, soccer, flag football, tennis, golf, hiking etc... Something for everyone to enjoy and possibly develop a life-sport.”
I don’t agree that varsity athletics should be abolished. Reformed, perhaps, to channel the money in better directions, but not abolished.
That said, in your list you omitted the most difficult, most demanding, most rewarding sport of all: fencing.
Fencing will never be popular again in this country, though. If you’re watching fencers who are significantly better than you are yourself, you just can’t see what they’re doing.
“I don’t agree that varsity athletics should be abolished”
I wasn’t talking about varsity sports. I was referring to club sports. Dart club, fencing club, cross country club... etc...
Sure! Have them owned by the schools if you like but pay the players and stop the charade of pretending they are “student” athletes. It is demeaning and exploitive to athletes and devalues the diplomas of the true students.
Ditto for high school and junior high school teams. The entire corrupt system is a taxpayer subsidized system of farm teams for the big leagues.