The most recent NCAA report on sports sponsorship and participation rates shows a continuing trend in the decline of sponsorship of specific men's sports, while the number of teams in specific women's sports continues to increase.

The 2003 NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates Report shows a net drop of 11 men's teams over all three divisions and a net increase of 60 women's teams in all three divisions compared to the 2002 report, resulting in a net gain of 49 athletics teams in 2002-03. The teams-dropped-and-added category excludes schools that either added or dropped membership in the NCAA in the given time frame.

This is a trend that has continued from 2001-02, when there was a net loss of 17 men's teams and a net gain of 111 women's teams compared with the previous year. That resulted in a net gain of 94 teams, nearly double the net gain of teams in 2002-03.

But the net decrease in the number of men's teams in the most recent report was tied for the lowest such net decrease since 1995-96. The highest reported net loss in the last 15 years was in 1997-98, when there was a net loss of 160 men's teams from the previous year.

Overall, when excluding schools that have added or dropped membership in the NCAA each year since 1988-89, men have seen a net increase of 51 teams across all divisions, while women's teams have grown by 1,914.

When comparing divisional data from 2001-02 to 2002-03, Division I showed a net loss of 34 men's teams, and a net gain of 11 women's teams. In Division II, there was a net gain of three men's teams and a net gain of 36 women's teams. There was a net gain of 20 men's teams and 13 women's teams in Division III.

Trends by sport

As has been seen in past reports, wrestling and men's tennis experienced the most significant decreases. Men's tennis had a net loss of 15 teams in 2002-03, followed by wrestling, which showed a net loss of eight teams. Other men's sports with reported net losses included swimming and diving, golf, and gymnastics.

Overall, since 1981-82, the net total number of wrestling teams in all three divisions has dropped from 363 to 222. In men's gymnastics, the net total of teams in Divisions I, II and III has gone from 79 in 1981-82 to 20 in the latest report. For men's tennis, that net total number of teams has actually climbed from 690 to 754 across all three divisions.

On the women's side, this is the first year that rugby has been included. The emerging sport showed a net decrease of one team in 2002-03. Women's tennis experienced a net loss of six teams over all three divisions, while gymnastics had a net loss of three teams. Other women's sports to report net losses included equestrian, fencing, rifle and skiing.

Women's sports showing the largest net increases in 2002-03 were indoor track and field, which added 18 teams; soccer, which added 12 teams; outdoor track and field, which added eight teams; and lacrosse and softball, which each added seven teams across all three divisions.

Overall, since 1981-82, women's gymnastics has gone from 179 teams in all three divisions to 86 teams in the most recent report. By comparison, the net total of women's soccer teams in all three divisions jumped from 80 in 1981-82 to 879 in 2002-03.

The report also covers participation rates, and shows that the number of male and female student-athletes participating in championship sports increased across all three divisions last year.

Overall, men's participation in championship sports increased from 209,890 male student-athletes in 2001-02 to 214,464 male student-athletes (about 2 percent) in this most recent report. The number of female student-athletes participating in championship events jumped about 3 percent -- from 153,601 in 2001-02 to 158,469 in the 2002-03 report. That accounts for a combined 2.60 percent increase in the number of student-athletes participating in championship sports -- or a total of 372,933. These figures also account for provisional NCAA members. That's up from 363,491 student-athletes in the 2001-02 report and is the highest number of student-athletes participating in championship sports since the data began being tracked in 1981-82.

Ethnicity report

Along with the participation-rates report, the NCAA also released its Student-Athlete Ethnicity Report covering the time period from 1999 to 2003.

The report provides a general view of recent trends in six ethnicity categories: American Indian/Alaskan native; Asian/
Pacific Islander; Black, non-Hispanic; Hispanic; other; and White, non-Hispanic. There also is a category for non-resident aliens (international student-athletes). International student-athletes may fall into any of the six categories, but for the purposes of the report, they are considered non-resident aliens because they are not U.S. citizens.

In 2002-03, the majority of student-athletes, both male and female, were white. For men, the percentage of white student-athletes was 71.6 percent, while for women that figure was 78.9 percent.

Blacks were the highest-represented minority group. For men, the percentage was 17.9 percent, and for women it was 10.5 percent. The percentage of Hispanic student-athletes was reported as 3.5 percent of men and 3.0 percent of women.

Non-resident aliens made up 2.6 percent of male student-athletes and 2.6 percent of female student-athletes.

When breaking it down by sport, basketball reported the largest proportion of black student-athletes, with 41.8 percent black males and 26.6 percent black females. That compares to 50.3 percent white males playing basketball, and 65.9 percent white females participating in the sport.

In football, 31.4 percent of participants were black, compared with 62.1 percent listed as white.

Other sports with a high percentage of black student-athletes are indoor and outdoor track and field. According to the report, of the student-athletes participating in indoor track, 20.9 percent are black men and 20.0 percent are black women. In outdoor track, 21.1 percent of the participants are black men and 20.0 percent are black women.

Of the minority-male student-athletes participating in volleyball, Hispanic men made up the highest percentage with 14.1 percent.

Asian/Pacific Islanders were one of the largest represented minorities in fencing and women's squash. Asian/Pacific Islander men made up 9.3 percent of fencing student-athletes and women made up 12.6 percent of fencing student-athletes. Asian/Pacific Islander women also made up 9.3 percent of all squash student-athletes.

Non-resident aliens made up a total of 2.6 percent of all student-athletes for both men and women. This category had the highest representation in badminton, ice hockey and tennis.

Both the participation report and ethnicity report are available in PDF format in the sports library section of NCAA Online. Those interested should click on the links below.

Users will need Adobe Acrobat software to view PDF files.

A limited number of hard copies will be made available for sale. No hard copies will be mailed to the membership.