Back in Sam Wilson’s Economics 101 Class in the late 1970s, the astute professor set aside a day to discuss the concept of spending money to make money.

Sounds like a conflicting message but it’s been a long-established tenant of economics, espoused by two great Temple presidents, Peter J. Liacouras and Howard Gittis.

Both said investing in football would attract students who want the full college experience and attracting students would increase the profit margin.

Maybe, just maybe, Temple is leaning that way. In conflicting news stories over the past week, Temple purchased the former Rite-Aid at Broad and Susquehanna for $9.25 million on June 24 and, six days later, announced a budget deficit of $85 million. No word yet if that deficit included the Rite-Aid purchase and was “only” $75 million and change days earlier.

Nobody knows what they plan to do with the drug store and spacious parking lot there but maybe if he were alive today, Professor Wilson might have a suggestion.

Buy up a lot of the less expensive properties around that Broad and Susquehanna site and put a nice little 30-35,000-seat stadium there for Temple football. It would liven up a dead real estate area, revitalize a lot of the North Philadelphia economy, and create another carrot for students, say, considering Temple and non-football playing area schools like St. Joe’s, LaSalle and, to a lesser extent, Villanova (now in the irrelevant Patriot League).

Need to boost those student numbers up to the previous high of 40,000 full-time students. Ironically, that number was hit in 2017, a year after the Owls won the American Conference football championship and two years after hosting ESPN’s Gameday.

There were stories in the papers back then attributing the enrollment boost to the success of the football team.

It’s not only spending money to make money, but it also applies to another economic principle: Short-term pain for long-term gain. A stadium is a significant investment in the short-term (and can be offset by private contributions) but funneling all that income to Temple instead of the Philadelphia Eagles is a long-term gain. Plus, if the Eagles do build a stadium of their own it is almost certain that Temple will not be invited to play in it. Temple has got to start planning now to stave off that eventuality.

While that plan will likely involve budget cuts for personnel, long-term projects and acquisitions (like Rite-Aid) should not be impacted. That’s the hope.

You can only tighten the budget belt so much before you split an artery around the waist. Maybe letting the pants out running a university that gives students the entire four-year experience translates into a longer and happier life.

At least that’s a take Sam Wilson would have and a plan his contemporary bosses like Gittis and Liacouras would approve.