"Sports" is very much a socioeconomic divider between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Who gets paid to get into college? Athletes. Whose parents have the time and energy to support extracurricular bullshit? Athletes. Who's going to get the better interviews? Athletes. "Sports" is also very much a tax-advantaged college industry that has nothing to do with academics (see also: above). Money in college sports is very much an alumni good-ole-boy virtue-signalling backroom bullshit bonanza and, surprise surprise, not a particularly progressive one. It's a big dumb Harrison Bergeron bullshit fest, wherein competing this way is A-OK but competing that way is grounds for expulsion and as with most things rule-bound, the rules are fundamentally a way one group of people can dominate another. Considering the 49ers are still without a decent quarterback, six goddamn years after Kaepernick taking a knee, old white dudes losing their shit about girls' swimming is the least surprising thing on earth.