The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Title Ix: The Challenge of Compliance

CASE DESCRIPTION The purpose of this case is to present the dilemma many universities face as they attempt to ensure gender equity within their athletic programs. The case allows students the opportunity to examine the operating budget for a Division I-AA institution and make recommendations regarding how to best fund additional sport programs to achieve Title IX compliance. The 2001-2002 Operating Budget for an athletic department as well as NCAA Division I-AA institutional data are provided. Selected demographic data for the university is also available. The case has a difficulty level appropriate for senior or first year graduate sports management or related courses. The case is designed to be taught in two class hours and is expected to require three hours of outside preparation by students. CASE SYNOPSIS The university's athletic program is not in compliance with Title IX. The critical decision to be made by the athletic director is how to best allocate funding to support sports programming that meet the needs and interests of the university, the students, and surrounding community. No incremental funding support is available from the university. In the past, such decisions were based on the emotional case for maintaining football and other men's sports. Funding and full compliance with Title IX can be accomplished, basing all decisions on the financial strength of individual sports. INTRODUCTION Athletic Director Gary Vega was prepared for a low impact summer until the senior women' s administrator entered his office to inform him that the new University President was concerned with the athletic program's level of compliance with Title G?. He was familiar with the struggles of other Division I-AA athletic directors were facing in meeting compliance. Knowing there would be no incremental funding from the university, he would have to achieve compliance with minimal impact on the other sports. BACKGROUND Pine Gulf State University is a mid-sized regional state university. For over five years, enrollment at the university has varied between 11,000 and 13,000 students. The university is comprised of a student body dominated by full-time (74%) students who tend to commute to the university. In fact, most of the students, 57%, live outside of the county. Its demographics reflect the rural community in which it operates: White (75%), Black (14%), Hispanic (9%), and all others (2%). Most of the students are women, 58%. The annual cost of attendance has been estimated to be $9,1 14 (tuition & fees $3,592; books $708; room & board $4,814). The university is a member of the NCAA, and competes with eleven other regional universities from two states in the Gulf Coast Conference. The conference competes at the Division I-AA level. Issues associated with a federal law, the Education Amendments Act of 1972, had not been a concern to members of the athletic department until a new University President arrived on campus. The new president was a woman. Her concern was with a portion of the law known as Title IX. Title IX stated, "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." She asked her new Vice-President of Student Affairs to report back to her on the university' s level of compliance with Title IX. The VP went to the NCAA' s web site, to learn more about the specifics of Title IX. He found that there were three basic parts of Title IX that applied to athletics - participation, scholarships, and other benefits. While Title IX required that men and women be extended equitable opportunities to participate in sports, it did not require an institution to offer identical sports. Regarding scholarships, the law required that student-athletes receive scholarship dollars proportional to their participation. …