To the editor:

As a parent of a recent Kansas University graduate who was also an athlete, I want to thank KU Athletics for the amazing opportunity they gave my daughter. The tutoring and support were first class and the experience was unforgettable. The senior recognition banquet was fantastic. The athletes were treated like gold and the friendships will last a lifetime.

I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to a number of other campuses, and the facilities that we have to compete against are serious. We need to have a separate track facility and upgrade our softball and soccer venues. There wasn’t one university that had a combined track and football facility like KU does. We could move our fans closer to the action in football and be able to attract world-class competitors to our track program. We have a tradition in that sport that is the envy of other schools but our facilities are archaic and outdated.

With the recent ticket scandal behind us and fortunes looking up in football and basketball, the other sports need to be able to compete on an even playing field as well. KU is headed in the right direction with a Kansan heading up athletics. Now is the time for us as a community to help bring our great university facilities up to par. Thank you to all the people in the athletic department who kept their heads down and noses clean during those difficult times. The kids and parents appreciate your dedication.