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.
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