If you put time, effort, or money into something, I would classify it as the we. If someone goes to UT, their tuition money helps provide for the players. Alumni help pay for the scholarships, facilities, there.

Yes the alumni do not play the games, but they do provide the means for the students to even be there in the first place. The fans pay for the university to have lots of things (merchandise profits funnel through the system). So if I buy 2 shirts, a hat, a ticket, or whatever, then I am contributing to the team. Now if I support them, they are my team, then yes I say 'we'.

Do you discount when a coach comes out and says "well we need to protect the ball more in the second half". Is the coach actually going out there and protect the ball? No, he's part of the team.

There are different versions of 'we' of course, is the 'we' only the players who play, so the guys who are on the team and never see the field or court, they are not part of it? Is the 'we' the whole team? Is the 'we' the team which includes coaching staff? Or is there a 'we' that sort of encompasses more?