Is Title IX a Crime!?

Title IX was passed in the year 1972 by President Nixon with the goal to help integrate women into society and promote equality through equal opportunities in the classroom and on the playing field in higher learning institutions. In my argument, I focus in on how Title IX impacts males and females in collegiate athletics. Only 30,000 women were under the NCAA in 1972 compared to 170,000 men, an astonishing number. It was clearly time for a change to try and help females pursue their athletic careers in college, and the US decided on Title IX. This law states:

“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.”

This law effectively requires equal access for women and men to medical treatment, locker rooms, training, coaching, recruiting, practice times, travel cost, etc. Money is given from the school to the athletes through a proportionality system, which states that if a college has 50% male athletes than 50% of the money will go to them while the other 50% goes to women. Proportionality also requires colleges which have let’s say 40% women, 40% of these women must play sports and the same goes for men. This effectively boosts the female participation.

Title IX has had great benefits such as female participation in High School boosted from 295,000 to 2.6 Million, and it also has been credited to decreasing the women’s dropout rate in High School. Women, in general have clearly reaped great benefits due to Title IX, lasting into 2018. Only 1/27 females played sports back in 1972, this number has jumped to 2/5 today. Title IX gains credit for encouraging females to break through, and continue and play their sport in college, ultimately trying to gain equality in society. These gain, however, have not come without repercussions.

The idea of proportionality has been tough on men’s sports since the inception of Title IX. In order to fulfill the opportunities and proportional amount of females participating in sports in college, some schools have been forced to remove men’s sports. Men’s gymnastics, wrestling, Track and Field, Swimming and Diving, and more have been hit hard with cuts following Title IX. Very well qualified male athletes are being forced to either quit their sport or go to another school, in order to full spots for possibly lesser qualified female athletes. Is going this far to try and form equality in society necessary? Is this the proper way to integrate females into society? Regardless, one thing is for certain, females have had proven benefits and great encouragement to participate in sports after high school, while some men’s sports have been cut over the years in order to afford it.

Works Cited

Epstein, Richard. “Repeal Title IX.” Hoover Institution, 4 May 2011, www.hoover.org/research/repeal-title-ix.

Feminist Majority. “Education Equality.” Education Equality — Feminist Majority Foundation, 27 Oct. 2017, www.feminist.org/education/titleix.asp.

History.com. “Title IX Enacted.” History.com, A+E Networks, 2009, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/title-ix-enacted.

Jjackson. “Title IX Frequently Asked Questions.” NCAA.org — The Official Site of the NCAA, 27 Jan. 2014, www.ncaa.org/about/resources/inclusion/title-ix-frequently-asked-questions.

Leung, Rebecca. “The Battle Over Title IX.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 29 June 2003, www.cbsnews.com/news/the-battle-over-title-ix/.