Title IX and Its Effect on Men's College Swimming.
College sports are very important to not only the athletes who participate in the sports but also to the schools themselves. The student athletes bring money and attention to the school that otherwise would not have been attainable. College sports also boost the school spirit of colleges. It gives the students something to come out and cheer for. .
Many college athletes participate in college athletics with a greater goal in mind, whether it is playing their chosen sport professionally or training to achieve a spot on the Olympic team. .
When a college athletic team finishes out of the top five in the country only a handful of times in the National Championship meet it can be defined successful. When that team wins a National Championship it can be defined as even more successful. When the same team produces twenty-six NCAA champions and ten Olympic gold medallists in its history it can be defined as extremely successful. But the UCLA men's swimming team, one of the most successful college teams ever, no longer exists. It was cut under a law that was made to provide more gender equity in education and sports.
How Title IX Works.
Title IX is a controversial law that was passed in 1972 in hopes of improving the numbers of female students who participated in athletics. This law has led to the addition of millions of women's athletes into the college community. Also it has helped start numerous women's professional sports leagues. Although Title IX has improved women's participation in college and high school, it has been unfair to men's sports.
Many men's teams have been cut to comply with Title IX. Sports such as swimming, wrestling and gymnastics have been the main targets for the cuts. Because these sports are not high revenue sports many college athletic directors believe that these sports are expendable.
Title IX of the Education Amendments was enacted by Congress and was signed into law by Richard Nixon.