First of all, I would like to congratulate the women's and men's basketball teams on their fine performances all season. They have represented Penn State very well and I commend them for that.

The Lady Lions are in the NCAA and the Lions are in the NIT. Both teams had over 20 wins and were at the top of the Atlantic 10 all season. It's unfortunate that their accomplishments had to be hidden in what I feel is a great mistake.

I could not believe my ears when I heard that the women's team was unable to host their first-round game in the NCAA. The head of the NCAA was only able to say that Rec Hall was unavailable at the time.

This made me pretty upset but when I found out that "reason" was so the men's team could host their opening-round game of NIT, I became even angrier.

The University's "reasoning" was that the men average 3,000 more spectators a game than the women. Which, in the final analysis, means more money for Penn State.

Is that all that the athletic department bases its decisions on -- money? If so, they missed something. The Lady Lions have a chance to be national champions while the Lions' best effort could be NIT champs.

(The) NCAA, in my opinion, (is) more important, not money. This sends out a message to the women's basketball team that "you did a great job but you're not worth as much as the men's team -- sorry." Well, sorry doesn't do it.

Rene Portland is doing a fantastic job with the women's basketball program. Penn State should have let her and her team play at Rec Hall. I'm one student that would have gone, and probably not the only one.

If Bruce Parkhill "doesn't see what the big deal is," he must be blind. He will see that this is "one school in the country that is going to make a big deal."