7. U.C.L.A.'s football team is having a great year. Its finances aren't.
Under the former N.F.L. head coach Chip Kelly, the 8-1 Bruins have become a top 10 team behind one of the nation's most prolific offenses. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, U.C.L.A.'s defender-hurdling quarterback, and Zach Charbonnet, their tackle-busting running back, are just the kind of players you would expect to ignite a fan base.
Yet crowds have been depressingly sparse: Attendance has averaged only 36,241 fans in a stadium of 91,136-person capacity,
despite the university routinely giving away tens of thousands of tickets.
By the end of the 2021 fiscal year, U.C.L.A.'s athletics shortfall exceeded $103.1 million, led by its football shortcomings.