Maybe Liberty Media needed cash to buy the Braves another washed-up relief pitcher.
But seriously, the B&N college bookstores have a very sweet niche. Not only do they provide those exorbitantly priced textbooks, but they're also making a killing on college sports-team apparel. Not to mention the dorm room staples, from lamps to trash cans. Talk about your captive audience!
If B&N can manage the transition to digital textbooks, they will have a bottomless gold mine. This must be what has Microsoft interested.