how Title IX hurts NCAA Men’s Gymnastics

I couldn’t be happier for girls who qualify for one of the 86 schools that have NCAA gymnastics teams.

It is a wonderful opportunity.

But what about the other side?

Dick Gould spent 38 seasons as men’s tennis coach at Stanford, leading the Cardinal to 17 national titles during his tenure. When Gould started in Palo Alto, the men’s tennis team had more full scholarships than starting positions; nearly four decades later, the program is limited to 4.5 scholarships for its entire roster.

Gould is a supporter of Title IX – he has three daughters who participated in intercollegiate athletics. He does believe, however, that the legislation encourages reverse discrimination for certain sports, including men’s tennis.

While I am adamant about the fact that schools don’t need to eliminate program to comply with Title IX legislation, I can understand Coach Gould’s frustrations. During a panel discussion this afternoon, he cited data that showed that there is significantly more interest in tennis from males than females. Yet, Division I women’s tennis teams have nearly twice as many scholarships to offer as their male counterparts.

I caught up with Coach Gould after his session: “Facts, Fiction, and the Future: Men’s Sports and Women’s Opportunities.”

The link below includes an audio interview with Dick Gould.

Double-A Zone