2008 Woodie Awards
Less football scholarships key for sports
? GUEST VIEWPOINT
Issue date: 11/13/07 Section: Editorials
Due to the enforcement of Title IX, Miami University has had to drop men's soccer, tennis and wrestling. Title IX has created great opportunities for women in academics and athletics, but in return, it has caused many men's programs to suffer. Currently, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) limits the maximum amount of scholarships for college football teams to 85, and Miami uses all 85 scholarships available for our football team. Unlike Big Ten football programs, our football team does not generate significant revenue. The real question at hand is, wouldn't it make more sense to cut 10 football scholarships and redistribute the money to fund a men's soccer, tennis or wrestling program here at Miami?
Title IX was passed in 1972 and states: "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." Females have grown tremendously in the athletic field since Title IX was implemented. For example, as the Chronicle of Higher Education reports, in 1970-71 there were 170,384 men who participated in college sports and only 29,992 women. In 2000-01, there were 208,866 men on college sports teams and 150,916 women. This is a 38.4 percent increase for men and a 468.1 percent increase for women. Title IX has created an immense amount of change for women and men alike, forcing colleges to cut men's sports in order to comply with regulations and create more funding for women's sports.
In the 1985-86 school year, compared to the 1996-97 academic year, 21,000 male athletic spots disappeared, a 12 percent drop overall. Miami was forced to cut three men's programs including soccer, tennis and wrestling to accede with Title IX and funding for women's sports.
Nov.18, 1999, several male athletes sued Miami, claiming reverse discrimination that resulted from Title IX. The university declared that the only way it could comply with the Title IX requirements for women's sports was to cut funding for men's sports. This problem could now be remedied easily with a reduced amount of football scholarships awarded to athletes each year. According to NCAA scholarship limits, division I-A football programs can give out 85 scholarships. Men's soccer has a maximum of 9.9, tennis 4.5 and wrestling 9.9. If the NCAA was to reduce the maximum scholarships available to football athletes by 10 scholarships, this would allow Miami to have enough money to be able to fund a men's soccer, tennis or wrestling program. Trailing after football in the maximum scholarships allowed by the NCAA, lacrosse, track and field along with cross country are allowed 12.6 scholarships. Many say this is because football requires a greater amount of players on the field.
For the 2007 season, the football team has 102 athletes on the roster, of which 85 of the athletes are provided with a scholarship. This equates to 83.33 percent of our football team on a scholarship. Our track and field team rosters 43 athletes, 13 in which are on the cross-country team as well and therefore were disclosed from my data. This leaves 30 athletes on the roster solely for the track and field team, who receive 12.6 scholarships, and this only equates to 42 percent being on scholarships. By the NCAA eliminating the maximum amount of scholarships given to football players to 75, Miami could then reinstate a men's soccer, tennis or wrestling team. Title IX has allowed many women all across the nation to be able to exceed in academics and athletics, unfortunately at the expense of some men's programs. By simply altering football scholarships, many college men could have the chance to participate in sports again.
Kristen Mitchell
Mitchek3@muohio.edu
Title IX was passed in 1972 and states: "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." Females have grown tremendously in the athletic field since Title IX was implemented. For example, as the Chronicle of Higher Education reports, in 1970-71 there were 170,384 men who participated in college sports and only 29,992 women. In 2000-01, there were 208,866 men on college sports teams and 150,916 women. This is a 38.4 percent increase for men and a 468.1 percent increase for women. Title IX has created an immense amount of change for women and men alike, forcing colleges to cut men's sports in order to comply with regulations and create more funding for women's sports.
In the 1985-86 school year, compared to the 1996-97 academic year, 21,000 male athletic spots disappeared, a 12 percent drop overall. Miami was forced to cut three men's programs including soccer, tennis and wrestling to accede with Title IX and funding for women's sports.
Nov.18, 1999, several male athletes sued Miami, claiming reverse discrimination that resulted from Title IX. The university declared that the only way it could comply with the Title IX requirements for women's sports was to cut funding for men's sports. This problem could now be remedied easily with a reduced amount of football scholarships awarded to athletes each year. According to NCAA scholarship limits, division I-A football programs can give out 85 scholarships. Men's soccer has a maximum of 9.9, tennis 4.5 and wrestling 9.9. If the NCAA was to reduce the maximum scholarships available to football athletes by 10 scholarships, this would allow Miami to have enough money to be able to fund a men's soccer, tennis or wrestling program. Trailing after football in the maximum scholarships allowed by the NCAA, lacrosse, track and field along with cross country are allowed 12.6 scholarships. Many say this is because football requires a greater amount of players on the field.
For the 2007 season, the football team has 102 athletes on the roster, of which 85 of the athletes are provided with a scholarship. This equates to 83.33 percent of our football team on a scholarship. Our track and field team rosters 43 athletes, 13 in which are on the cross-country team as well and therefore were disclosed from my data. This leaves 30 athletes on the roster solely for the track and field team, who receive 12.6 scholarships, and this only equates to 42 percent being on scholarships. By the NCAA eliminating the maximum amount of scholarships given to football players to 75, Miami could then reinstate a men's soccer, tennis or wrestling team. Title IX has allowed many women all across the nation to be able to exceed in academics and athletics, unfortunately at the expense of some men's programs. By simply altering football scholarships, many college men could have the chance to participate in sports again.
Kristen Mitchell
Mitchek3@muohio.edu
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 5
Steve
posted 11/13/07 @ 10:59 AM EST
The issue isn't football, numbers of players, or the number of scholarships. The issue is the arbitrary application of a gender quota on college athletics. (Continued…)
Miami parent
posted 11/13/07 @ 11:25 AM EST
Do your homework before you write! The other post from Steve is correct - it isn't about scholarships. It has to do with the equal number of women's and men's TEAMS. (Continued…)
brad
posted 11/13/07 @ 7:17 PM EST
Title 9 is related to funding and number of athletes. The reason why women sports have more teams is because women dont have a sport with the number of scholarships that can off balance football, thus wrestling soccer, golf get cut to make up the balance. (Continued…)
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