Not since it was first enacted in 1972 has Title IX caused as much controversy as it has today. Title IX is the amendment to the 1964 education reform bill that stats, "No person in the U.S. shall, on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal aid." At first it seems as if no reasonable person could possibly disagree with such a bill. Looking closer however we see that it has caused, some would say, more harm than good. Women's rights advocates cheer the effects Title IX has had on women's sports in both high school and at the major college level. Other groups will say, however, that while women's teams and participation are up it is at the expense of men's teams who are being constantly cut to "keep up"" with Title IX requirements. .
Title IX mandates two important points of contention. The first is the amount of money spent on men's sports must be equal to the amount of money spent on women's sports. The second controversial provision is the percentage of women participating on athletic teams must be equal to the percentage of women on campus. Both requirements have caused major problems in gender relations and athletic opportunities for men. It turns out that while Title IX has given women a better opportunity in athletics it has been a devastating blow to some men's. This has caused many to take a look at Title IX on its 30th anniversary and ask whether it has really served its purpose.
In 1992, the Marquette University athletic department added women's soccer and, not coincidentally, stopped funding the wrestling team. And yet, for seven seasons the program stayed alive solely by alumni and booster support, as 33 wrestlers shared two or three scholarships. It might exist today if Marquette, citing gender equity requirements, hadn't pulled the plug last year.
