Women In Sport: A Progress Report

The belligerent response of the NCAA to women's sports, and specifically to the Title IX regulations, has added to the rhubarb. Since last winter NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers has been speaking of "impending doom" in intercollegiate athletics if revenue-producing sports (i.e., football and basketball) are not exempt from Title IX. In other words, Darrell Royal should not have to share his profits with Texas coeds who last year had to make do with $9,000.

While any tampering with or reduction of big-time college football or basketball may naturally alarm those whose income and perhaps psychic certainty depend on these sports, the overall argument does not bear close examination. Revenue-producing sports are not the financial pillars of the academic structure that their proponents suggest. Michigan, say, may turn a nice profit on them, but many RPS elsewhere are getting cold and fishy looks from college treasurers because these sports now are costing so much they need to be subsidized from general funds.

The "Protect the RPS" position of the NCAA may be a scare tactic. The majority of women are not asking for sports equality on a dollar-for-dollar basis. In effect, their attitude is: let the men spend what they can, but don't ask the women to continue to sacrifice so the men can spend. "Our college football team has a budget of about half a million dollars," says a woman coach. "What in God's name would I do with half a million for field hockey? I don't want it and couldn't use it. If there is half a million for football, there should be enough so girls can have lockers rather than nails on the wall, a trainer to attend to injured ankles, uniforms, good equipment and transportation money. That is what equal opportunity is about."

During the past year it has been established that there should be equal opportunity in sport. Those attacking this principle in public are becoming increasingly rare. Sexual discrimination is no longer regarded as fashionable, rational or politic. "There has been a major change in the type of people calling me about the legal aspects of equality in sports," says Faith Seidenberg, a Syracuse, N.Y. civil rights lawyer. "In the past my cases involved mostly daughters of professors. Now it is not limited to the so-called educated people. The issue has affected the working-class, silent-majority types. Now a farmer or a factory worker may come in and say, 'My daughter is as good as any boy, why shouldn't she play?' The girls are usually supported by both parents, they have family backing and are not after publicity. These fathers and mothers just want their child to be on a team and they want her to be able to play next week. I think it has filtered down because of coverage in the media—TV exposure, local newspapers—and the Little League decision had tremendous impact."

Clifford Fagan, head of the National Federation of State High School Associations, says, "In the past girls shied away from sports because it was not ladylike. This thinking has changed. Girls now think athletics are fun, and interest is way up. Girls demanding equal funds may modify the big-budget, win-at-any-cost programs existing some places for boys. But I think that would be a good thing."

To achieve equality, at least in the abstract, either the present athletic system must be enlarged in terms of facilities, funds and personnel, up to twice its present size, or half the resources being used to support men's athletics must be taken and given to women. "It's going to cost money," a Minnesota educator remarked recently. "But I know of no case in history where providing equality was cheap."

Fortunately for sports and women, some men are coming forward who seem willing to foot the bill and abide by the consequences. Says Ray Graves, men's athletic director and former head football coach at Florida: "Women's programs must be improved. This is in the best interest of the university. Women's sports do not produce revenue, but neither do comparable men's sports. You don't get a crowd at a women's golf match or a men's golf match. The publicity the women have been getting has been good for the school."

Asked if in 10 years it were necessary to give women 40% of the budget, what might happen then, Graves says, "I do not think we could raise the additional money. Major cutbacks would have to be made. The place to begin would be with men's scholarships. They are the big expense items for most schools. If every college had to cut back, if we could only give 20 scholarships and Notre Dame and the rest were doing the same—in other words, if we had to go back pretty much to playing with amateur athletes—I am not so sure it would be a bad thing."

Wisconsin Athletic Director Elroy (Crazy Legs) Hirsch also seems willing to adjust. "The 1973-74 women's budget at our university was $21,500," he says. "Next year it will be $118,000. Some $90,000 of that was originally earmarked for men's sports programs.

"It doesn't bother me at all that money is being taken from the men. If everybody does it, then it wouldn't hurt anyone. As long as there is equality within the conference, that is fine. I think it is a good start for women. They are turning out for sports in large numbers and I am all for it."