To the editor:

In these days of financial hard times, it is not easy to get a college education. Even if you were a brilliant student in high school, scholarship money is tight. Most end up in hock to Sallie Mae for the rest of their lives.

But if you are a promising athlete, that’s a different story. You’ll receive the red-carpet treatment with ample help for tuition along with special housing and numerous other perks. Universities have no problem in bestowing a free ride to athletes who have little or no intention of completing a four-year program. After all, it’s all about winning games. Isn’t it?

Here in Lawrence, the highest paid person on campus is not the chancellor. It is our basketball coach. A tenured professor makes less than 3 percent of his salary. This disproportionate remuneration should cause us to re-examine our core values.

Does March Madness mean we are so crazy about basketball that rewarding athletic prowess becomes exceedingly more important than promoting academic excellence?