Title IX is not good for collegiate sports. Universities are decreasing the athletics opportunities for men in order to make room for various women’s sports. There has been a net loss of more than 17,000 opportunities for men in collegiate athletics. Title IX is merely a law of proportionality. Schools need to keep the same ratio of male athletes to male students as female athletes to female students. This is not fair to men’s athletics. Universities need to be concerned about the economics of athletics by focusing mainly on those sports that are the most profitable for the University. This should be common sense.
Universities should be putting money toward those sports that will return the greatest profits. The University should not be using its funds for a state-of-the-art women’s hockey facility in the Ridder Arena. Earlier in the year, the University’s women’s hockey team was promoting $1 games – $1 games? I realize it is one of the better athletic programs this University has to offer, but the bottom line is, this is not a good investment for the University. This sport does not attract fans. There are few students at this University that would go to a women’s hockey game for the purpose of being entertained. Most of those in attendance are family or friends that know the athletes on a personal level. Now compare this to a men’s hockey game. The University should stop spending money on the women’s hockey program and allocate these funds toward making the men’s hockey games an even more incredible experience. This is just one of the many ways the University could allocate its funds in a more profitable way. Another suggestion would be that the University could use all the money it poured into this facility toward a more profitable facility, say a potential football stadium.
I just don’t believe it is fair for men’s programs to be cut in order to have more women’s sports. The men’s crew team at the University is unable to participate on the varsity level. As a result of Title IX, they are merely a club team, but are on the verge of being competitive with various other varsity teams across the country. Even though they are on a vigorous year-round workout program similar to other varsity crew teams across the country, it is due to Title IX that this club is unable to take the next step. They practice in one of the worst gyms on campus with some of the worst equipment, while the women’s team gets to practice in varsity-caliber facilities. Title IX requires there to be a women’s varsity crew team and it eliminates the men’s varsity team.
This law of proportionality is just one aspect of Title IX. I agree with the other portions of Title IX that deal with how women should have the right to receive an equal opportunity to participate in sports. I do not believe universities should be cutting men’s athletics in order to add more women’s sports. Title IX puts an end to athletics discrimination for women, but as a result, men are receiving the injustice. The female teams that benefit from Title IX do very little to benefit the University on an economic perspective. These teams are financial burdens to the University.
Title IX never was expected to last 30 years. The number of women in college has increased greatly over these past 30 years. As a result of this great increase, the number of women athletes needs to increase. This does not take into account the fact that there is a greater proportion of men interested in sports than women. This calls for some changes in Title IX. Although it has been a great catalyst for women’s athletics, Title IX is now a threat to the history of men’s athletics programs across the country.
Christopher Boreen is a University student. Please send comments to [email protected].
