Governments Build Stadiums for Private Companies, So Why Not for Private Universities?

In case you missed the news that Syracuse University is looking for subsidies to replace the Carrier Dome with a new retractable-roof stadium (why not?),  here are a few bullet points (courtesy of the Post-Standard):

• $495 million cost for a 44,000 seat arena with retractable roof. The amount does not include parking or land acquisition.
• Additional development of a 250-room hotel, over 160 apartments and 150,000 feet of retail space
• No plan for use of the current Carrier Dome or its site
• The facility's operating budget would pay for the extra police, fire and other public services needed

The first question I had was whether the retractable roof "ask" was merely so the university could later "settle" for a cheaper, fixed-roof stadium.  But Neil deMause puts it in better perspective:

The stadium would seat 44,000 (down from the Carrier Dome’s 49,000), with a retractable roof so it could host basketball and other indoor events while also events that need to be outdoors, like, um, professional snowball fights?