I've given the state of MU FB & the state of MU the university a lot of thought over the last few years, especially over the last few months now that I'm a full time retiree (at least for right now). Back in 2001, my older daughter was a finalist for the Society of Yeager scholars, which she didn't succeed, but the Honors program at MU offered a great deal and she would've accepted if she hadn't received the Palmetto scholars award and basically got paid to go to the real USC. At that time, it seemed like MU did make a serious effort to recruit promising students. Hopefully that is still the case. An institution does not have to have successful FB in order to be a good-to-great college or university.
BUT, IMO here's where Thundering's pt. #4 intersects:
At many schools FB is the catalyst for students' excitement & social life, where freshmen, like little ducklings, get imprinted into becoming life long fans & supporters of the school.This is true even in D-II & FCS schools. Yes, winning is important. But boring-ass offense kills the all-important excitement and entertainment factors.
Moreover, the relative inaccessibility of Herd telecasts makes it difficult for us far-flung alum to sell or sons, daughters, friends' kids, or (in my case) extremely gifted science students to even give MU a thought. Yes FB is important to most of those guys & girls. And I have propagandized a few who probably would have been successful Yeager candidates. (The Yeager is one of the best programs for the very gifted around.)