schools didn't charge admission to them. Now more schools are starting to charge admission for some of the sports. VT may even be in the minority when it comes a university giving free admission to most/all non-revenue sporting events. I am not saying one business model is right or better than another because each university is unique.

It is irrelevant how much money especially after the university has invested all that money into that sport (i.e. facility, equipment, etc). Plus, the whole purpose of the club sports program is that they are designated and recognized as self-governing and for the most part, self-supporting in nature. Besides, the NCAA has strict guidelines about a university's athletic department sponsor a club program (Bylaw 13.11.2.4.3). If a school decides it wants to make a bunch of sports club sports, then the budgetary responsibility simply gets transferred from the athletic department to the physical education department or recreation department. So the university may not see any benefit to this decision because it is simply changing what pot the money comes from.

The athletic departments will notice the change for both the good and the bad. There are some traditional "non-revenue" sports at some schools that have strong financial support from its fanbase. So instead of the money for those sports going to the athletic department, they will go to the physical education department or recreational department. Remember just because VT's non-revenue sports don't have that level of support doesn't not mean it isn't the case at other schools.

As far as who benefits from the non-revenue sports, it varies from school to school because every school's situation is unique. It is possible that some schools see more attendance at a home non-revenue sporting event than a home basketball game. A country's Olympic teams benefit from schools providing an avenue for future Olympians to train and hone their skills. VT has had some recent track and field athletes that have either already competed in the Olympics or will be competing in the Olympics for their country.