On Saturday, Title IX turned 40. The law was signed on June 23, 1972, by then-President Richard Nixon. It 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...
In the 40 years since its inception, the law has certainly helped advance women’s athletics a great deal. Still, there are those who think the bill has done its job, or that it harms smaller men’s sports through funding cuts, or by cutting entire programs.
However, according to the Women’s Sports Foundation, there are still fewer opportunities for female athletes in high school and college, as well as less scholarship money for female athletes. The Foundation also says it’s incorrect to pin blame for cuts to male sports on Title IX because schools determine what athletic cuts to make based on a variety of reasons.
Forty years later, do you think Title IX is still necessary?
