CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — At the University of Illinois, being an athlete gets you access to a $6 million facility with oversized leather chairs and Oriental rugs.

But it's not a fancy country club _ it's a tutoring center.

The Irwin Academic Services Center helps only about 550 of the school's 37,000 students. And places like this in schools across the country leave critics fuming.

"These athletic tutoring palaces perpetuate resentment and stereotyping on campus," said Allen Sack, a University of New Haven professor and former football player for the University of Notre Dame. He believes sports can detrimentally affect university life.

"A student who is not an athlete will say, 'I'm working nights to get through school _ why don't I get free tutoring?'" Sack said.

In addition to the University of Illinois, at least four other schools have multimillion-dollar tutoring centers just for their athletes. Most are funded by athletic departments.

Proponents say the centers prepare athletes for life after sports, but other students want the same help available for everyone. The University of Michigan student newspaper is pushing to have their school's $12 million athletic tutoring facility open to all students.

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But learning specialists like Debby Roberts, who works at the Illinois center, said athletes need more help focusing on education.

"It's a daily battle," Roberts said. "They all want to think they're going to turn pro."

Sam Carson, a fifth-year senior and linebacker at Illinois, said the program helps by requiring him to put in time to meet the demands of his actuarial science major.

"In high school, parents or teachers keep an eye on you," Carson said. "Here, I might have been tempted to stay in my room and watch television if I didn't have to put in those study hours."

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Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com