Many people still think it is inappropriate, however, for females to be intensely involved in athletics, be it as a player, coach, or administrator. In this era, when women have made great strides in many other segments of society, women athletes are still an oxymoron--almost. Nearly thirty-five years after the passage of Title IX to the Education Amendments Act of 1972, approximately 90 percent of all colleges and universities in the United States are not in compliance with this federal law. Ironically, there are few laws protecting women in other endeavors similar to the way Title IX was meant to fortify women in athletics. Strangely, it has taken twenty years for a federal law to be enforced. Hopefully it won't take another twenty years to make amends for decades of neglect.
In layman's terms, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funds. In brief it 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."
Although this applies to almost all educational institutions in the United States, statistics show the stark reality. For example, there are only six female athletic directors at NCAA Division I schools, just two of whom are at institutions that play both major revenue-producing sports: football and basketball. There are only two female commissioners of Division I all-sports athletic conferences.
The differences between Divisions I, II, and III are based upon some primary components such as the type of financial aid offered, number of sports sponsored, eligibility requirements, and academic requirements. For example, Division I institutions must sponsor a minimum of fourteen sports, seven each for.........
