UPDATE: Check the comments on this post. They concern the number of men’s gymnastics teams cut using Title IX as an excuse.
The women’s NCAA Championships has only been held for 26 years. It started in 1982.
Very successful today, how much credit can be given to Title IX legislation?
From the NCAA website:
In June, we will celebrate the 35th anniversary of Title IX, the historic legislation that assured equality for men and women in education. In the 1950s, there weren’t many opportunities for women in higher education, but when Birch Bayh pioneered the legislation that prohibited gender discrimination in any federally funded education program, the world changed forever.
If you think my words are overly dramatic, think again. In the last 15 years, Stanford has added seven varsity teams in women’s sports, increased the number of its female student-athletes from 220 to 400 and more than doubled the amount of athletics financial aid provided to female student-athletes.
The advancements have occurred on campuses across the nation. Title IX alerted colleges and universities to blatant inequity, and in the last 35 years, significant progress has been made.
There is still a long way to go, however, and that’s why I’m on the campus of Stanford this morning, attending the “Title IX Today, Title IX Tomorrow†conference.
Some of the most influential people in women’s sports history are here, including Billie Jean King, Donna Lopiano, Anita DeFrantz and Judy Sweet. Today’s itinerary will serve as a celebration, but also an idea exchange, as we look for ways to progress women’s athletics in today’s world of college sports.
Sounds good.
So why do only 65 of 365 division 1 NCAA Universities have women’s gymnastics teams? When you add in division 2 and 3 schools, the total is still only 86.
Why are numbers still declining? (Though Arkansas added a team in 2003 and has been very successful.)
Other women’s sports are growing: rowing and bowling, for example.
Seems to me that economics at each University is a far more important factor than easily skirted Title IX legislation.
Leave a COMMENT if you have an opinion.
5 comments ↓
This article completely ignores the negative effects of title IX. Colleges all over have been dropping their men’s gymnastics teams since (and because of) title IX.
And there are only 15 men’s clubs left, now. And wrestling is dying as an intercollegiate sport as well. Shame what has happened to men’s sports as a result of title 9.
That’s the real worry. You’re right.
I am a collegiate men’s gymnast, and these facts are scary and sad. I am a part of one of the TWO (yess… TWO!!!!) Division III men’s gymnastics collegiate programs. Yes, women’s gymnastics only has 86, but men’s only has 18! In the entire nation filled with approximately 1000 NCAA participating institutions. Men’s gymnastics began before women’s gymnastics, but is dying at an alarming rate. Since I was in high school (about 5 years ago), I have seen 3 (yes THREE!!!!) men’s collegiate gymnastics programs LOST. (UMass, Southern Connecticut, and most recently JMU). All three of these schools blame Title IX for the loss of the programs, so it only leads me to believe that my school is VERY soon to losing it’s program. The only reason I see our program continuing is because of it’s rich past, and because of the Gymnastics Exhibition Show (a.k.a. Homeshow) that will be going on for 98years this Oct. If our program is taken away (which I think I will see happen in my lifetime), over 100 years of tradition and excellence will be gone and forgotten. As part of a Division III school, I go for education because I cannot recieve any type of scholarship, and I must pay full tuition. This subject will always be mind-boggling to me. I just attended the 2007 NCAA National Leadership Conference in Orlando, FL. We had many different group discussions, (one of which I started) about Title IX. NOT ONE PERSON realized how FEW men’s gymnastics programs there are in the country. When the Olympic games are on television, what is the most popular sport? GYMNASTICS. Men’s AND Women’s. So why are there so few collegiate teams? This is an issue that I am very passionate about, and absolutely want to change.
Here is a little information about the NCAA and the money it gives to Divisions. Division I athetics recieves approximately 90% of the NCAA Budget (having a smaller about of DI school than that of DIII). Division II athletics recieves about 7% of NCAA budget, and DIII gets a lousy 3%!!! DIII is also the LARGEST of the divisions, holding around 450 schools. The little bit of money that IS given to DIII is given to the Athletic Departments, allowing them to do as they please with the money. If they choose to fund higher-paying athletics more, that is their call. But, if this is done, then gymnastics (as well as other sports, including wrestling) to recieve less money. With less money comes less equipment, and with less equipment comes lower skill levels due to equipment, which can lead to lowering in rosters. This then GIVES the school a reason to get rid of these sports saying that it is “a Title IX infraction”.
There was NO WAY that this was the reason for JMU. 3 women’s teams were lost as well (as you know). The men’s gymnastics team was lost (in my feelings) because they were “expendable” with a small roster of only 6 gymnasts. How did dropping this program help equal out the numbers? That’s only 6 males that were dropped, when a different program **COUGH FOOTBALL COUGH** would have dropped around 100 males. But apparently 8(?) men’s teams needed to be dropped, when 1 would have been sufficient. Of course, this is because football makes money, blah blah blah, sick of hearing about it, blah blah blah. LOOK AT THE NUMBERS!
UGH, well, now that I have got that off of my chest, you know how I feel, lol. I wish that this sport would flourish as it did in the past (in collegiate athletics).
Please feel free to comment back (I am having follow-up comments emailed to me so that I remember to check). Thanks for listening
Please send me the information on the 98th Annual.
We can promote it on this site.
THANKS.
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