Every spring, sports fans across the nation are caught up in the frenzy of March Madness. But for many of the student-athletes who create the excitement, the “madness” extends beyond the 68-team tournament and into their everyday lives — and not always in a good way.

For some, an athletic scholarship unlocks their dream of creating a better life for themselves and their families. But for far too many, these dreams turn into living nightmares, especially under the current rules of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the body that oversees athletic scholarships. They are barred from cashing in on their athletic talent, and their limited scholarships often leave them worse off than they would be otherwise, especially if they get injured.

To address the struggles of this latter group, I have crafted and sponsored state legislation to level the playing field for our athletically gifted students. Senate Bill S6722-A will prevent New York schools from taking away the scholarships or eligibility of any athlete making money from endorsements. It also allows players to use an attorney or agent for business deals without punishment.

Under the current education law, student-athletes are prohibited from making personal financial gains during the course of their scholarship. Compounding the problem: Most athletic scholarships cover tuition, boarding and books, leaving parents to foot the bill of all other expenses associated with being a college student.

By contrast, colleges and universities are able to collect big money from college sports using the names, images and skills of these stars players to their advantage.

As an example, Syracuse University’s athletic department set a record for revenue in 2016-17, reeling in more than $90 million. The University of Alabama’s athletic revenues in 2013 from all sports totaled about $143 million. This was greater than all National Hockey League team revenues and 25 out of the 30 NBA team revenues for that year.

My bill addresses this by allowing student-athletes to profit from the use of their own names and images without risking scholarship eligibility.

As for injuries, under the current rules, there is no standardized health-care coverage for student-athletes. They give their blood, sweat and tears to make college sports the spectacle it is. But once sidelined by an injury, these athletes are sometimes unceremoniously put out to pasture while the colleges move on to the next rising star.

My bill amends the education law to mandate that colleges and universities set up a separate fund dedicated solely to aiding injured players.

Finally, my law mandates that all students in a sports program receive 15 percent of the overall sports revenue, equally split among them.

There is an element of racial justice at work here. In his book “Forty Million Dollar Slaves,” William Rhoden outlines how “black athletes still find themselves on the periphery of true power in the multibillion-dollar industry their talent built.”

If for a moment we can to pull ourselves away from the “madness” of eagerly filling out our brackets for the next tournament to consider the implications of race and politics in the sports equation, we may come to terms with some worthy, though uncomfortable, truths.

Colleges have been profiting off the talents of their students for decades, while student-athletes are pushed to their limits and beyond to bring in large ticket sales and merchandise revenue, with little more offered than tuition, room, board and books.

I’m not saying that student-athletes should be millionaires. But as a legislator first, a sport enthusiast second and former athlete last but not least, I am willing to stand as a point-guard in their defense so the romanticism of collegiate sports matches the reality. Is this too much to ask?

Kevin Parker represents the 21st District in the New York state Senate.