This is because a university education is about everything but education. From KQQQ:
Washington State University Athletics total debt is estimated at 67 million dollars. Cougar Athletics has provided the estimate to the WSU Regents to comply with a new state law. Last month Governor Jay Inslee signed a bill to increase the transparency and accountability of athletics budgets at state universities. The new law requires university regents to approve annual athletics departments’ budgets during an open public meeting. The bill also mandates that regents must approve plans for reducing deficits and that financial statements and fiscal plans for athletics must be posted on the institution’s website. The WSU Regents Finance and Compliance Committee will receive the Cougar Athletics deficit estimate during its meeting Thursday in Spokane. The brief report is identified as a “future action item” for the full board of regents.
Former Cougar Athletics Director Bill Moos revealed a 13 million dollar annual shortfall 2 years ago. That deficit level was reached during the 2013-14 fiscal year. WSU President Kirk Schulz has previously reported that the annual deficit was nearly cut in half during the last fiscal year. This 67 million dollar estimated accumulated deficit for Cougar Athletics is a projection for the end of this fiscal year which runs through June.