Did you know that women's sports haven't always been a part of the NCAA? Thankfully, one landmark piece of legislation changed that reality nearly 50 years ago and female athletes are still reaping the benefits.
Title IX is a section of the Education Amendments of 1972 and was groundbreaking in women's rights in sports and has been a huge piece of legislation since its passing. Title IX states that…
“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.”
Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits
Title IX was signed into law in 1972 by President Richard Nixon. The main authors of the bill were Representative Patsy Mink, Representative Edith Green, and Representative Birch Bayh. Before the bill, the NCAA had no reason to treat women's sports the same way they did men's sports. They didn't offer women athletic scholarships or championships. Title IX drastically changed opportunities for women in sports and allowed them access to equal opportunities and resources.
Three years after the passing of Title IX, the “final version” of the law was passed. Signed by President Gerald Ford, the change to the bill includes an amendment by Senator Jacob Javits that allows sports with larger crowds to allocate more money from institutions. This essentially allows institutions to discriminate based on profitability of sports but not on gender.
However, not everybody was a fan. In 1976, the NCAA filed a lawsuit against the legality of Title IX. The lawsuit was dismissed in 1978. Around that timeframe, Texas senator John Tower attempted to pass the Tower Amendment, which would exempt football programs from having to comply with title IX. Much of the pushback was due to the fear that women's programs would take resources from the men, a fear that has never been realized.
Related: College Coaches Panel | Women In Sports: Same Game, Double Standard
Today, women's sports are thriving thanks to increased access to athletic spaces, but there is still work to be done in allocating adequate resources to female athletes, protecting them from discrimination, and ensuring that they truly do have equal opportunities as their male counterparts. But thankfully, women don't have to fight for their right to compete anymore, and it seems that the future of gender equity in college sports looks bright.
* Originally published on June 8, 2022, by Daley Craft
