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The University of Maine is the latest school to feel the effects of the economic recession. With money now a premium for so many organizations around the country, budget cuts seem to be the only reasonable solution to alleviate financial struggles. Our athletic department was forced to make these cuts, and they did so by dropping the women’s volleyball and men’s soccer programs. It’s unfortunate these actions must occur, but it raises a major question in the athletic world: How successful has the implementation of Title IX been?
Title IX is an educational amendment that 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.” It did not originally contain any reference to athletics, but it has since become one of, if not the single biggest focus for high school and college athletic programs nationally. Schools are forced to provide equal opportunities, scholarships and teams for males and females. I’m absolutely an advocate for equality, but the truth is that there have been an enormous amount of issues with Title IX and the actions that surround it.
Female participation in collegiate athletics has increased by 456% since its inception because the average amount of teams a college offers for females has risen significantly. This means more money from the school’s budget is being dedicated to these teams, which take away from funding for other teams. For this reason, some of the lower-revenue men’s teams such as tennis, swimming, gymnastics and others have struggled due to Title IX. At several schools, these teams can’t compete at the level that they would like to because they aren’t receiving enough financial backing.
I mentioned I’m an advocate for equality, but I also believe in Social Darwinism, which means the strongest teams will survive, regardless of gender. There is no denying this would usually result in men’s teams floating to the top, but that would not always hold true. For example, the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team most certainly brings in more money and publicity than its men’s golf team. In this case, Title IX is hurting that female team because it forces the athletic department to dedicate less money to them. When it comes to athletics, Title IX was essentially created to provide equal opportunities for females. At the time of its creation, male participation in high school and collegiate sports was monumentally higher than that of females. In one regard, it has been successful in raising the participation level for females. On the other hand, it has taken opportunities away from some teams, which is exactly the opposite of its intentions. In most cases, male teams have felt its negative effects, but there is no doubt that it has been taken out on some female teams as well. Whatever happened to earning your keep?
