Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Title IX talk on a message board

From Beijing 2008
A women posted on a public discussion board some keen insights.
It is a common misconception that NCAA football programs generate revenue for schools. In fact, a recent study by the NCAA reports that only about 20% of D1 programs operate in the black. The average net revenue lost is $10 million per school. So, how to justify supporting 85 scholarships for football programs?

This is the original wording of Title IX; how have we gotten to "sports dollars must reflect the proportion of men and women"?

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

I am a product of the original Title IX; I swam on a men's team in high school and played waterpolo on a men's team in college. There were no comparable women's teams, Title IX gave me the opportunity to compete. I was shut out from some activities; the organizers of the Empire State Games would not let me compete with my waterpolo team. They told me I could create my own team and find women to play against. Since there were not many women (in fact, I knew none) playing polo in New York in the 70s, I was relegated to the sidelines.

My support for Title IX does not extend to the current interpretation. By wiping out virtually all men's sports except football and basketball, it does not serve its intended purpose. Title IX was enacted to give those who wanted to be involved in a sport, the opportunity to play.

No comments: