These are the best of times for Kansas University football. Never been better.

These are the worst of times for Haskell Indian Nations University football. Same old, same old.

Within the Lawrence city limits is a classic example of both ends of the college football spectrum. The classy Mercedes is, of course, the Jayhawks. The used Kia is the Fightin’ Indians.

Does any other city in America contain such collegiate gridiron disparity?

Even in its worst times, Kansas University football has always been able to fall back on the financial support of a deep-pocketed alumni base, conference television and bowl money and thousands upon thousands of fannies in the stadium.

Even in its worst times, Haskell : well, the Indians never have known good times since making the leap from a junior college to a four-year school at the end of the 20th century.

Haskell’s status as an NAIA-affiliated school officially began in the year 2000. In the eight football seasons since, the Indians have compiled an overall record of 19-64. Their best record has been 4-7.

The Indians’ football program has virtually no alumni support, no television or bowl money and usually fewer than a thousand people in the stands.

Not a single NAIA school pockets TV or bowl money, but most have a smattering of alumni support and bankable gate revenues. Most NAIA schools’ games can be heard on the radio, too, yet no Haskell game ever has been broadcast locally, even on a delayed basis.

What’s more, the Indians play in an ancient, decrepit stadium – a facility loved only by the Lawrence School District because its availability and cheap rent sure beats spending multiple thousands of dollars to build a district stadium.

Haskell football is a paradox.

Whereas most NAIA schools are saddled with high tuition rates and no athletic scholarships, Haskell has no tuition at all. HINU students pay $215 a semester for room, board and books. What a deal. And all you have to do is prove you have at least one-sixteenth Native American heritage.

Yet, while the no-tuition factor does give Haskell an advantage in luring football players, the ridiculously low cost erodes retention. Quit the team and what do you lose? A little more than 200 bucks. That’s all.

In its final home game this fall, Haskell honored three seniors. The Indians never have had a double-digit senior class, and it’s unlikely they ever will.

You have to admire Eric Brock. In his six years at HINU, I’ve never heard the Indians’ coach complain about the retention factor, the under-funding, then sub-par facilities or even that, in addition to coaching, he has to teach classes in basic nutrition and first aid.

All in all, I just wish there was some way for some of the millions of dollars generated by Big Football to trickle down to the bottom-feeding NAIA schools, sort of like the Royals benefiting from the luxury tax assessed against fabulous wealthy teams like the Yankees.

You would think Big Football, owned by corporations that pay no corporate taxes, might be persuaded to share a little bit of their wealth with the Haskells of the world.

Yeah, I know. Pollyanna will be the next executive director of the NCAA before that happens.