For the football players, it's not a matter of equity. For them, it's never been an issue. It's out of their control. Whether they will live in Nittany Apartments or the dorms, the choice is not completely theirs.

University housing policy states that Nittany Apartments are reserved for juniors, seniors and graduate students. However, a number of sophomore football players are currently living in the complex.

"It's not like we say, 'I want to live in this apartment,' " said sophomore football player Gerald Filardi, who currently lives in Nittany Apartments. "We don't go and say that. They give it to us."

According to some players, housing for the football team is decided by Coach Joe Paterno. The athletes are assigned housing a few days before classes begin.

"They give Joe x-number of apartments to use, and he uses them," Filardi added. "Some ways I think it's fair. I think he earned them. The sport earned them for the players."

Before he was given his assignment, Filardi thought he would probably be living in Nittany Hall. However, he's not complaining about his living quarters.

"If they're going to give me an apartment, what am I going to say, 'Give it to some other sophomore, or give it to a junior,' " Filardi said.

Even though the NCAA determined last month that the team's living arrangements do not violate policy, other student-athletes are not alotted the privilege of on-campus apartment living. Housing Assignment Office Manager Lynn DuBois said in January that all athletic teams can reserve double rooms in dorms, but the football team is the only University team that reserves space in Nittany Apartments. Sophomore track and cross-country runner Jason Smith said that setting aside space in Nittany Apartments gives football players an "unnecessary advantage."

"I don't really see why -- even though football brings a lot of money to our school -- why they have to be completely pampered like that," Smith said.

Gymnast J.M. Michel said that he isn't bothered too much by it. In fact, it is something he would have expected. However, he added that all athletic teams work hard, and should be treated equally.

"I don't think it's too fair," the freshman said. "But whatever happens, I guess you've just got to roll with it."

The football team generates high ticket revenues, and that justifies the housing benefit, said redshirt-sophomore football player Stephen Pitts. According to his research, those monies fund scholarships for other teams. Pitts moved into Nittany Apartments in his second semester to fill one of the spaces left by seniors who moved out.

"It was cheaper for them to move a couple of the guys out of the dorms and put them in those empty rooms," Pitts added.

Freshman athlete Dave Klueber does not see a problem with the current system for football housing since it is not an NCAA violation.

"I mean, it's close to where they practice," the pole vaulter for the track team said. "They have a right, I guess, to be there."

However, the complex is also located close to other teams' practice facilities. Several teams, including the swimming and diving teams and the track teams, train nearby.

Swimmer Carrie Kundrat said she would love to be able to live there.

"It would be ideal for us," she said. "This year, there were three of us considering it, but we just felt that it would be really tough getting in because we wouldn't have any athletic pull."

Members of the football team do understand the cries of unfairness that have come from other students.

"The other student athletes -- they would be the people that would have the gripe," linebacker Todd Atkins said. Atkins, who lived in Nittany Apartments as a sophomore, added that "it would be great" for other athletes to live there.

Pitts said the concerns of non-athletes are also legitimate. If he was a student paying tuition, he would want a chance to live in Nittany Apartments as well, he said.

This housing issue appears to be out of the realm of student control. However, Kundrat offered a seemingly simple solution.

"It's too bad they can't build more Nittany Apartments," she said, "because I think it would solve the whole problem."