OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON NYT REPORT ON TITLE IX AND ROSTER MANAGEMENT

Widespread gaming of system proves that using quotas to enforce Title IX in college athletics has failed

Contact: Eric McErlain
202-657-5877

April 26, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. - April 26, 2011 - Earlier today, the New York Times published a story about how schools misreport athletics participation data in order to comply with Title IX. The following statement can be attributed to Leo Kocher, the President of the College Sports Council:

Title IX is a gender quota law plain and simple, and it should not be a surprise that schools have become skilled in ways to game a system that is irretrievably broken. The use of gender quotas to prove compliance with Title IX has failed and the system must be reformed now.

Title IX as written supports equality of opportunity, not equality of outcomes, something that is impossible in athletics given the persistent imbalance between the sexes in interest in participating in intercollegiate sports. The use of quotas to enforce Title IX discriminates against male student athletes and artificially limits their opportunities to participate. In recent weeks, weve seen the use of strict gender quotas to comply with Title IX result in the needless elimination of mens teams at the University of Delaware, Liberty University and the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

In order to remedy the situation, the Department of Education should reinstitute the use of surveys to measure student interest in intercollegiate athletics, allowing schools more flexibility in complying with prong three of Title IXs three prong test.

The College Sports Council is a national coalition of coaches, parents, athletes and alumni.  It is the nations leading voice advocating reform of Title IX enforcement.  Follow us on our blog, our Twitter feed or Facebook.

Additional Background: www.collegesportscouncil.org