NANCY ROSSIGNOL
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

Forty years ago, athletic programs at CSUSM might have consisted of 15 men’s teams and no women’s teams. In 1972, a federal law changed that possible ratio, creating new opportunities for women in sports. Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments prohibits sex discrimination in educational programs in institutions that receive federal funds. That includes all grade levels through college and all programs including sports. Concerns regarding fairness and the resulting legal challenges created additional components to the original law. Jennifer Milo, Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Women’s Administrator at CSUSM, said Title IX “has boosted the opportunities for girls and women in sports tremendously.” Milo stated there are currently over 300,000 women playing intercollegiate sports nationwide.

The purpose of Title IX is to provide equal opportunity in educational institutions. A common presumption is that in order to have equality between the sexes, there should be an even 50/50 split. However, at many colleges, women outnumber men. According to Milo, CSUSM’s student population consists of 60 percent women and 40 percent men. Compliance with Title IX requirements for equal opportunity must be “proportional,” Milo said, by considering campus population and other demographic factors.

Valerie McMurtrie Bonnette explains Title IX clearly in her comprehensive manual, Title IX and Intercollegiate Athletics: How It All Works – In Plain English. Bonnette previously worked for The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the national entity responsible for enforcing Title IX and now speaks at seminars on the topic. Two important additions to Title IX are the 1979 Intercollegiate Athletics Policy Interpretation and the 1996 “Three-Part Test,” which according to Bonnette’s manual are the major sources used for specific requirements for athletics programs and interpretation of Title IX regulations. Her manual also describes the 1979 policy as consisting of 13 components separated into three categories of compliance requirements, or the “Three-Part Test.” The three parts are accommodation of interests and abilities, financial assistance, and benefits and opportunities.

Milo emphasized that for each of the three parts, proportionality is key, because Title IX requires that institutions provide equal treatment of participants in overall women’s and overall men’s programs. As an example, Milo explained that if there are 300 athletes, 60 percent must be women and 40 percent must be men in order to comply with Title IX. Similarly, CSUSM must provide an equal opportunity when disbursing athletic scholarships, reflecting the female/male ratio proportionally, and the same is true for providing benefits and opportunities. Title IX does not require institutions to offer athletics programs, nor does it require offering a specific number of teams. It also does not require the same number of teams for men and women.

“For men or women, what sports [can] do as far as teaching life lessons is important,” Milo said, adding that providing equal access to sports is just “the right thing to do.”