Will Texas long term become another Cal?

Essentially becoming such an academically oriented school in a huge state, that it begins to destroy athletics?

Think about, more and more UTx has kids who have no real family or long term relationship with the university. For most of these minority kids, it's a means to an end for them. It might be a way to get out of poverty for some minority kids, or a way to get into the career they really want for others. But regardless, it's a means to an end.

These kids will be more academically oriented and could care less about athletics. While some may say that's okay, what does that do when these students become alumni?

Suffice to say, most of the minority students current at UTx, I seriously doubt are going to become big donors. If you don't have a connection to your university's big sports teams as a student, it doesn't happen once you are out of school.

You also have a lot of transplants in Texas, so again, there's no connection to the university. There's no "I grew up watching Alabama (or LSU, or Tennessee) with my dad" mentality in that situation. I seriously doubt most of the UTx students grew up watching Texas football.

Finally, Austin is basically Berkeley in the middle of the country now. So that means a population more concerned about social justice and protesting instead of sports.

Look at the other big states. New York could care less about college football and that's reflected in their college football support. California isn't much better. Cal and UCLA have pitiful support. USC has the history but still get mediocre support at best.

You look at Cal. Being in the most populous state, there's no reason Cal shouldn't be a major player at every sport. Except for the fact they just don't care. Cal has never been anything at football, men's basketball or women's basketball. I don't even think they've ever been anything at baseball or softball.

I could easily see the same thing happening at Texas. Academics getting so high to the point where athletics are de-emphasized and over time just go away in importance.