Maybe you could get some alumni interested in a race to raise money for some program at the university.
Another thought, it may be someone at the university who feels this way-- but there may be others who would actually like to see races continue to use the campus this way (good community relations is one point they might want to consider). Or offer to make them a sponsor with credit on shirts or something in return for their "donation" of permission to run on the roads.
Just fishing here-- my direct answer is yes, I've had a similar problem. I proposed a trail run that would use U of Md campus, but they didn't want to give a permit to an outside group. I tried to entice a couple of campus groups to sponsor the event, but they couldn't do it for a variety of reasons. (i.e. I feel your pain!)