The Advantages of Title IX

Title IX of the Education Act of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on gender in educational programs, including athletic programs that receive federal funds. The effect on women and girls in sports is the most famous aspect of Title IX, including increased sports participation by female athletes; increased performance-based sports scholarships awarded to female athletes; increased academic performance for female student-athletes and future professional performance of former female student-athletes.

  1. Increased Sports Participation

    • Prior to the implementation of Title IX, participation in organized athletic activities was as low as one out of every 27 high school girls. Now, more than 30 years after the Title IX went into effect, the participation of girls in high schools sports is now as high as one out of every three girls. Participation at the college level has nearly tripled between 1972 and present day.

    Increased Scholarships

    • In 1972, scholarships awarded to female collegiate athletes were all but nonexistent. Today, however, over $1 million is awarded to female athletes attending Division I school. This steady rise of college scholarships afforded countless women, who would otherwise have been unable, the opportunity to attend college. Due to Title IX, female athletes are afforded comparable resources, including scheduling of games and practice; quality of the coaching staff and the availability and quality of sports uniforms.

    Increased Academic Performance

    • The passage of Title IX has seen a tangible increase in the academic performance of female student-athletes. A study published in 2007 linked participation in high school sports with a 41 percent increase in a woman's chance of graduating from college. Furthermore, women have been increasingly represented in advanced degrees. In 1972, a mere 7 percent of legal degrees were awarded to women. By 2001, that number increased to 47 percent. This increase would not be possible without Title IX.

    Professional Performance

    • Participation in organized sports encourages team-work, goal-setting and pursuit of excellence. Further, participation in sports also teaches communication skills and increases players' ability to relate with peers and work well with others. These skills translate to success in the professional setting. The Women's Sports Foundation claims that 80 percent of female executives at Fortune 500 companies identified themselves as former tomboys and indicated that they participated in sports.