OVERVIEW
Good News:
Since Title IX was enacted in 1972, female high school athletic participation has increased by 1,000% and female college athletic participation has increased by 574%.
Bad News:
High school female athletes received only 41% of participation opportunities, which is 1.3 million fewer than their male counterparts.1
Even though female students comprise 54% of their college student populations, female athletes received only 45% of participation opportunities.2
Female college athletes receive only:
- 34% of sports operating dollars, which is $1.17 billion less than male college athletes3
- 45% of college athletic scholarship dollars, which is $166 million less in scholarship dollars than male college athletes,4 and
- 32% of athletic team recruitment spending, which is $50 million less recruiting for recruiting female athletes than male athletes.5
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS PARTICIPATION DATA
Girls comprise 49% of the high school population6 but only receive 41% of all athletic participation opportunities.7
High school female athletes received only 41% of participation opportunities, which is over 1.3 million fewer participation opportunities than male high school athletes.8
Participation numbers for both boys and girls increased over the previous year.9
- Girls' athletics experienced a smaller increase of 35,459 participants than the boys' increase of 51,012.10
- The boys' participation number of 4,372,115 set an all-time high for male participation.11
- The girls' participation number of 3,057,266 set an all-time high for female participation.12
COLLEGE SPORTS PARTICIPATION DATA– NCAA
Females comprise 54% of the college student population but only receive 45% of all college athletic participation opportunities.13
Between 2005-2006 and 2006-2007, the participation of female college athletes at NCAA institutions increased by 4,000 while men's participation increased by 5,730.14
Contrary to some media reports, male athletes have not lost opportunities as a result of Title IX.
- From 1988-1989 to 2006-2007, NCAA member institutions have added 2,687 sports for men while dropping 2,484 men's sports during that same period for a net gain of 202, while adding 3,978 sports for women and dropping 1,690 sports for a net gain of 2,292.15
- NCAA male sports participation has increased from 126,401 in 1995-1996 to 132,741 in 2004-2005.16
It appears that NCAA Division I institutions are dropping men's sports teams in order to put more resources into men's football and basketball.
- A comprehensive study of 1,895 colleges showed that although men’s tennis and wrestling at the NCAA colleges surveyed experienced declines from 1995 to 2005 (1,166 athletes in total), men’s football, baseball, lacrosse and soccer grew by more than 7,400 student-athletes. The only subset of institutions that experienced declines in men’s participation levels was NCAA Division I-A schools, the institutions for which the arms race in athletic expenditures is most severe. Among NCAA schools surveyed from 1995 to 2005, men’s participation increased in Divisions II and III and remained mostly the same for Divisions I-AA and I-AAA.17
- From 1988-1989 to 2006-2007, NCAA Division I schools suffered a net loss of 278 men's teams.18
- From 1988-1989 to 2004-2005, Divisions II (+44) and III (+265) enjoyed net gains.19
- In a study of both NCAA and NAIA schools, from 1981-1982 to 1998-1999, the net outcome of added and discontinued teams was +36 for men and +3,784 for females. Division II and III schools were found more likely to add teams and less likely to drop teams compared to Division I schools.20
COLLEGE SPORTS BUDGET DATA– NCAA
Female college athletes receive only 45% of college athletic scholarship dollars, which is $166 million less in scholarship dollars than male college athletes.21
Female college athletes receive only 34% of sports operating dollars, which is $1.17 billion less than male college athletes.22
NCAA colleges spend 32% of recruitment money on women, which is $50 million less for recruiting female athletes than male athletes.23
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1National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), 2007-2008
2NCAA Gender Equity Report, 2005-2006, NCAA 2008
3Ibid
4Ibid
5Ibid
6National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), 2006-2007
7NFHS, 2007-2008
8Ibid
9Ibid
10Ibid
11Ibid
12Ibid
13NCAA Gender Equity Report, 2005-2006, NCAA 2008
14NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates Report, 1981-82–2006-2007, NCAA 2008
15Ibid
16Cheslock, Who's Playing College Sports? Trends in Participation, 2007
17Ibid
18NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates Report, 1981-82–2006-2007, NCAA 2008
19NCAA Sports Sponsorship, 2004-2005
20Government Accountability Office Report, 2001
21NCAA Gender Equity Report, 2005-2006, NCAA 2008
22Ibid
23Ibid
2007-2008 represents the latest high school (National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations) athletic participation data. 2006-2007 represents the latest high school and college general student body statistics (National Center for Education Statistics) and the latest college sponsorship and participation rates data (National Collegiate Athletic Association). 2005-2006 represents the latest college gender equity data (National Collegiate Athletic Association).