Re your comment on cash cow - average attendance of even 1500 (up say 1000 from this year) would mean another $200k for athletics. Getting women's hockey attendance up to say women's basketball - achieveable given its a hockey-mad U - would be another $200-300k. (That's all before advertising, concessions, jersey sales and so on.)
Not exactly cash cow, but the program should be a contributing revenue-positive and not a drag on the athletic dept.
And I agree with your first point - it starts with strong leadership and the rest will follow.