Interesting piece in USA Today on the continuing silliness that is Title IX. Earlier reports that men’s athletic opportunities are increasing in the Title IX era failed to factor in the fact that there are simply more schools. The number of athletic slots per school for men–probably the more accurate measure of mens’ sports opportunities–continues to decline.

That in itself wouldn’t matter much if it were happening organically. That is, if schools were dropping men’s sports due to a lack of interest. But they aren’t. This is all coming by way of a mandate from the federal government. And schools are dropping men’s sports where there’s plenty of interest and high-level competition to introduce women’s sports where there’s little interest and little competition.

The whole equation is of course skewed by men’s football and (to a lesser extent) basketball. At most schools, these are the only programs that generate revenue–revenue that makes most women’s sports possible, not to mention scholarships and numerous other academic programs. There is no women’s equivalent of football. Therefore, schools have to introduce three, four or sometimes more money-losing women’s sports to equal the number of roster spots on the men’s football team alone.

Even more absurd is the fact that to keep the roster spots even, some schools won’t even allow men’s teams in second- and third-tier sports where the athletes themselves and their supporters raise all the money necessary to compete.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 30th, 2007 at 11:09 am by Radley Balko and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.