Cheeze, there is zero connection between most of the items on your list and liberalism: e.g., rec-centers, student centers, bus subsidies, stadiums, student housing. And most of those things are the result of student (and parent) demand; as state support for public higher ed has eroded, those institutions have had to become more competitive on the open market, which means giving potential customers more glitzy dorms, better food, etc. Moreover, you have left out things like the ADA (and resultant student disability centers), Veterans' affairs offices, IT (a huge expense and virtually non-existent 40 years ago), "accountability"-driven bureaucracies, and health insurance - all these pad the budget as well.