I read it earlier too, but I don't get where the athletic dept would have lost revenue in 3 months. Did the school refund athletic fees for the spring semester, or has enrollment decreased that much?
I graduated in 2007/2009 and the college of engineering had a strong online course offering then. I can't imagine that other colleges haven't done so as well in a decade. I was still charged athletic fees for any online course I took if I remember correctly. Summer enrollment has always been low, so the drop off can't be that much with online options.
With that said, I upped my donation this year. Others should be encouraged to as well if possible.