Inequality for women in sports dates back to the year 776 B. when women were not only not able to participate in the first olympic games but not allowed to attend as well. Within sports, heroes are made, goals are set and dreams are lived. However, up until the last forty years women were being deprived of these things. They were being deprived of the right to be great at something and to be recognized for that greatness. Forty-three years ago a piece of legislation was passed giving women what should have been a fundamental right, gender equality in schools. As part of the civil rights act, Title IX stated, "No person. shall on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of or be subject to discrimination" (ncaa.org). In 1972, the year the act was passed, only 30,000 women competed in collegiate athletics compared to approximately 170,000. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) did not offer athletic scholarship for female athletes nor did they hold championships for women's sports. Title IX gave women of every age and race the opportunity to participate in athletics. It not only immensely impacted women's lives but also added an entirely new dimension to athletics and schools by creating programs dedicated to women that had never existed before. Although Title IX has made tremendous strides in providing opportunities for women in athletics it does not gender inequality in the world of sports in its entirety. .
Title IX applies to all educational institutions both public and private that receive federal funding. Almost all universities must abide by the regulations in Title IX as they receive federal funding through federal financial aid programs used by their students. Within universities, collegiate athletics are seen as school programs and therefore they must abide by the regulations set forth in Title IX. There are three basic parts of Title IX as it applies to athletics.