From the late 1920s to the mid-1930s, broadcasting of intercollegiate sports at many state institutions migrated from educational radio stations to commercial networks. Amid the economic pressures of the Great Depression, the sale of sports broadcasting rights provided universities with a steady revenue stream, while the publicity from the broadcasts raised their profile among citizens and legislators whose support was crucial to state institutions. Yet, commercialization bolstered critics’ claims that intercollegiate athletics had become a business rather than an extracurricular activity.