Last month, the role of athletics in the student admissions process of selective schools like Harvard and Yale — and how favorably athletic applicants are viewed — was brought into question.

A group called Students for Fair Admissions has sued Harvard, saying the university discriminates against Asian-American applicants. During the three-week trial, some of Harvard's admissions practices came to light, including how athletes are given a significant advantage in the admissions process.

According to Harvard's own data, 83 percent of athletes with high academic ratings are accepted. That's compared to only 16 percent for non-athletes.

The defense Harvard presented was that athletics helps to build a community at an academic institution.