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37 J. Marshall L. Rev. 257 (2003-2004)
Righting the Canoe: Title IX and the Decline of Men's Intercollegiate Athletics

handle is hein.journals/jmlr37 and id is 277 raw text is: RIGHTING THE CANOE: TITLE IX AND THE DECLINE OF MEN'S INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS ANDREW J. BOYD* INTRODUCTION A. The Decline of Men's Intercollegiate Athletics Men's intercollegiate athletics currently face a severe crisis. Between 1981 and 1999 university athletic departments cut 171 wrestling teams from their rosters.! During that time, men's intercollegiate athletics also suffered the loss of 84 tennis teams, 56 gymnastics teams, 27 track teams, and 25 swimming teams.' When universities drop men's sports programs, men lose much more than the opportunity to compete on the athletic field. They also lose the opportunity to receive scholarship funds, and thereby the opportunity to obtain a university education.3 B. Title IX's Effect on Men's Intercollegiate Athletics Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was designed to ensure that federally funded educational institutions provide male and female students the equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of the educational process.! The most controversial aspects of Title IX are the way in which it has been applied to, and J.D. Candidate, 2004. 1. Aaron Gabriel, Women Advancing, but at what Expense?, DAILY HERALD (Ill.), June 26, 2002, § 2, at 10. 2. Id. at 1, 10. 3. Id. at 10. When university athletic programs cut men's sports, male student athletes are often left with few options. St. Viator high school graduate Josh Kay received a baseball scholarship from Iowa State University, only to see the University drop its baseball team. Id. Unable to secure a scholarship offer from another university, Kay chose to attend a local community college. Id. 4. Susan M. Shook, Note, The Title IX Tug-of-War and Intercollegiate Athletics in the 1990's: Nonrevenue Men's Teams Join Women Athletes in the Scramble for Survival, 71 IND. L.J. 773, 774 (1996). Shook points out that Title IX was not solely intended as a measure to assure equality of athletic opportunity for males and females. Id. The legislation was broad in scope, and it was not initially clear that Title IX applied to sports. Id. at 775.