While most American businesses appear to be facing extreme economic challenges by cutting their work forces, reducing prices to attract customers and initiating other cost-saving actions, the Kansas University Athletics Department apparently believes that KU football tickets for the upcoming season will be in such high demand that they can afford to raise the prices.

Individual ticket prices for the Oklahoma and Nebraska football games in Memorial Stadium will cost $90 this fall, with tickets to powerhouse non-conference opponents like Northern Colorado, Duke and Southern Mississippi set at $50 each and Iowa State ducats at $60.

As yet, no price has been announced for the Kansas-Missouri game to be played in Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium. By the way, at a time when Lawrence and Columbia merchants need all the help they can get and Kansas could use the tax dollars generated by a game played in KU’s Memorial Stadium, it should be noted that KU officials — athletics department and top administration — elected to give this game to Kansas City, Mo., for the next five years.

Oh well. They have offset losing this game by scheduling crowd-pleasing contests against such teams as Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Sam Houston State, Central Michigan, Toledo and next year’s battles with Northern Colorado and Southern Mississippi. At least tickets to those games don’t cost $90 each.