They are thinking about the economics as much as your professional leagues. In case you missed it, there was a bot retrieved article posted here the other day about the economic impact we might see IF we don't see a fall season in sports. It's speculation based on the erroneous numbers/models we been seeing for months now.
I get the point you're trying to make although I don't think the analogy fits. It's not apples to oranges, it's apples to acorns.
If we have players on campus they aren't going to be living in conditions that are like, say, Paty Hall was a quarter of a century ago. They are sleeping in pods, breathing recirculated air, and in close confining work conditions like you're referring to with the Navy guys. It's reasonable to have testing procedures in place for these players and closely monitor their health.
BTW, there was a study done this week about the impact social distancing would have on games...estimated stadiums would be at around 20% capacity. While ticket revenue isn't the big money maker for all schools, it plays a significant role.