R1 research universities and their associated health system are the largest employers in most states. Most schools cannot fund athletics without tuition dollars. Message on science, jobs, football (for the non research schools), etc. Support for universities is incredibly salient nationwide.
Every Saturday in there are 12-15 hours of commercials where our universities advertise themselves to the median voter. Iowa fans stop mid football game to wave to cancer kids in their university hospital overlooking the field. Voters implicitly understand why we need to support universities.