Free speech areas aren't new, they're just getting a lot of attention these days. I lived on a campus that had a huge fracas over their long-standing speech zones back in 2000-2003 and may have sparked this entire issue, and I'm inclined to say this problem is a non-starter.

The reason these areas were created, and the reason a lot of campuses still maintain them, is that in most cases the "speech" we're talking about is recruiting/issue advocacy by a student organization that wants to set up tables with a staff of a few people - at the smallest. Sometimes we're talking about something bigger, like a jump castle, a blood donations bus, or even - in one memorable instance - a giant plyboard cube that students were encouraged to graffiti. Really what we're talking about is a logistics issue, not some speech fascism on the part of the college. Trust me, other forms of organized speech - flyering especially - aren't restricted at all.

Hell, I remember more than a few war protests that began AND ended outside the "free speech area".