Education is a unique industry and market on to itself. I worked in a part of it, and edu is just different than real business.

You have government funding, both for research and education.

You have tuition and fees, which students pay but there are student loans and grants etc.

You have endowments.

You have alumni and donor funding.

You have schools that develop technology and own profitable patents.

Sports is its own topic that I don't know enough about to comment on.