Its a shell game. Thats why you've never seen a report of a delay in an athletic department paying academics.
Conversely you've never read a story on how profitable athletics is to the university.
Athletics sponsoring 300-400 academic scholarships annually should generate tons of headlines but it doesn't because the money exchange isn't necessary for survival.
The last time I read a story about athletics cutting a check to a school was TAF making a donation from its surplus.