History and Background
On June 23, 1972, the President of the United States signed Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 into law. Title IX was a “comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity” (US Department of Justice, 2015). The establishment of Title IX banned discrimination based on sex to federally funded programs. According to scholar Erin Irwick of the National Collegiate Athletic Association “Title IX requires that schools treat the sexes equally with regard to participation opportunities, athletic scholarships, and the benefits and services provided to male and female teams”(Irwick et al 2011).Title IX was a monumental time for universities and paved the way for years to come. Even though I am only going to review the financial aspects of Title IX, to some people Title IX means more than just money, it is about opportunity and equality. According to scholar Peggy Williams of Ithaca College, Title IX provided “society to convey a critical message to girls and young women: that the world of athletics was theirs, too, and that the benefits that come from participation could positively affect many dimensions of their lives” (Williams, 2002). Title IX in sports has become an exceptional breakthrough for women. It has shown determination, accomplishment and success.
While Title IX was such an emotional and successful progression for women, not all colleges and universities were pleased with the outcome and were resistant to change. In 1984, a survey questionnaire answered by 369 athletic directors in the United States showed that “the majority of them did not have positive attitudes toward the new regulations of Title IX” (Audette,1984). More than 10 years after the implication of Title IX, schools had still not adopted the new change.Females have been underrepresented in sports and even today, the issue still circulates. Scholar Alicia Irons of University of Northern Iowa reinforces that “Media pressure may have increased the rate at which Division I schools complied. These schools used a combination of 'equalizing up' and 'equalizing down' to achieve compliance quickly. Division II and III schools primarily used 'equalizing up' methods and took longer to comply” (Irons, 2006).As far as Title IX and the effects that it brought to Trinity University, that is the project that I am on a quest to investigate.