Title IX: Combat Gender Discrimination In School Sports

Title IX, part of an education amendment in 1972, was passed to combat gender discrimination in school sports. The passage of this amendment changed the lives of many women who longed to jumpstart their sports careers. This life changing amendment 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.” (pg 3)Historical factors and trends of the preceding years ultimately led to the creation and implementation of Title IX.
A contributing factor to the passage of Title IX was the growing sports culture of America. The Olympics and sports such as football and

4). This gave schools three different ways to show that they were in compliance with Title IX. The first route required “participation opportunities be substantially proportionate to their general enrollment”. The second required the “school show that it has a history and continuing practice of program expansion to meet the interests and needs of women”, and the third required “demonstration that the School’s programs fully and effectively accommodate the interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex.” (pg. 6) Although the “three-prong test” was meant to ensure compliance, there were still some opposition standing in its

It took them two years to “circulate draft regulations about areas covered by the law” and seven years to come up with actual guidelines (pg. 4). I believe that they took their time because of the backlash that Title IX. Many schools became worried about their athletic programs, especially when it came to football. Regarding this issue, one man even went so far as to make a false accusation, saying, “Are we going to let Title IX kill the goose that lays the golden eggs in those colleges and universities with a major revenue-producing sport?” (pg. 5) Another factor that hampered Title IX was people’s view of women at the time. Many people just assumed that women weren’t interested in sports and believed that women should aspire to be more feminine. This was exemplified by the phrase “nice girls don’t sweat”. Also, women that were interested in sports were believed to be homosexual. This stigma caused some women to feel leery about their involvement in sports (pg 10). Although people tried to stand in Title IX’s way, it powered through opposition and had a tremendous impact on women throughout the United