ACHIEVING TITLE IX GENDER EQUITY IN COLLEGE ATHLETICS IN AN ERA OF FISCAL AUSTERITY

Abstract

This article reviews the statutory background of Title IX and provides an analysis of three recent legal cases that address gender equity issues. Most specifically, the article examines three recent lawsuits, all initiated and decided after 1988 legislation reinvigorated Title IX. These cases involving Colorado State University, Brown University, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania illustrate the approach the courts are taking on gender equity and the practical difficulties of achieving gender equity in an era of fiscal austerity. The article examines the impact of other recent litigation arising out of Title IX and analyzes the gender equity strategy of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The article concludes proposing a comprehensive game plan for Title IX compliance in today's fiscal climate by analyzing compliance factors, methods of achieving gender equity, and the economics and ethos of budget cutting.