Gender equity forty years later: a look at Title IX’s impact on American sport

Abstract

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 has impacted the American sports landscape in many ways. While many believe that the law has led to increases in participation and employment opportunities for women, the real numbers show that this may not be true. The true numbers also help explain why courts have allowed men’s opportunities to be cut, while not allowing women’s opportunities to also be cut. Though claimants have focused on these cuts, clear disparities still exist in regard to financial aid and athletic facilities provided to men and women, and courts have recently opened the door to the possibility of counting other activities as sports demonstrating that earlier measures of assessing compliance may once again need to be revamped. Overall, the legal claims that can be brought under Title IX did not substantially exist until very recently so the law’s true impact has not yet been felt. This article will provide a brief overview of these controversial areas to assess Title IX’s true impact on athletics 40 years after its enactment.