National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- March 1, 1999

OCR to review findings regarding Title IX compliance

The NCAA has been notified that the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will review its findings related to a complaint that the Association's championships program is in violation of Title IX.

The original complaint was filed in 1992 and was resolved in March 1998 when the OCR issued its findings that the NCAA did not, in fact, violate the Title IX law in providing championship opportunities to male and female student-athletes.

In support of this determination, OCR cited the NCAA's stated criteria for determining championship opportunities and its findings during a review of championship opportunities for male and female teams for the 1996-97 year.

OCR found that "the divisions reflect proportionately the number of women's teams in each sport sponsored by division membership as men's teams." OCR further found that statistics from the 1994-95 academic year and those available for 1997-98 also supported the finding.

The complaint is being reviewed because the complainant believes that OCR and Health and Human Services (HHS) erred in their factual analysis and that they applied an incorrect legal analysis under Title IX.

"As an association, we are committed to maintaining voluntary compliance with the Title IX law," said Cedric W. Dempsey, NCAA president.

Since 1992, the NCAA has shown consistent and continued expansion of its championship opportunities for both men and women, and during the 1998-99 season, seven current women's championships will be expanded.

The seven team or individual women's sport championships that will be expanded during 1998-99 include cross country, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, outdoor track and volleyball.

"We are encouraged by the support and dedication our member institutions have shown with regard to expanding championship opportunities for women," said Jean Lenti Ponsetto, chair of the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet and senior associate athletics director at DePaul University. "We are especially pleased that new opportunities were created even after OCR found the championships program in compliance. We are looking at continued growth over the next several championship seasons."

The following illustrates growth in NCAA women's championships since the 1996-97 academic year:

  • Cross country -- Increased opportunities from 184 to 225 individuals during 1998 championship.

  • Golf -- Provided four additional individual opportunities at the 1997 championships to grow to a total field of 99 participants.

  • Lacrosse -- 1998 championship incorporated bracket expansion from eight to 12 teams, providing championship opportunities for an additional 96 women.

  • Rowing -- First NCAA championship established in 1997 with 296 individual participants. In 1998, championship field increased to 345 individuals, providing 49 additional opportunities.

  • Soccer -- Bracket was expanded in 1998 from 32 to 48 teams, providing championship opportunities for an additional 288 women.

  • Softball -- Bracket will be expanded in 1999 from 32 to 48 teams, providing opportunities for an additional 288 women.

  • Outdoor Track -- Increased the participant limit in 1998 by 15 -- from 373 to 388 individuals.

  • Volleyball -- Bracket expansion began in 1997 when the field increased from 48 to 56 teams and continued in 1998 when the bracket expanded to 64 total teams, providing championship opportunities for an additional 96 women.

    Two men's championships also announced growth. Bracket expansion will occur in baseball when the field is increased from 48 to 64 teams in the 1999 championship; also, men's cross country increased by 41 individuals to provide 225 total individual opportunities during the 1998 championships.

    This expansion brings the total number of women's berths to 248 in team championships (approximately 3,984 student-athletes) and individual-team championship berths to 1,995 student-athletes. Men's championship opportunities have grown to a total of 208 teams (4,780 student-athletes) and 1,949 individual-team championship berths.

    In 1996-97, NCAA member institutions reported a 48 percent male and 52 percent female undergraduate enrollment. At the same time, female participation at NCAA member schools on average was 38 percent based on 1997 figures. During 1998-99, by contrast, NCAA championships will provide participation opportunities for women amounting to 47 percent of the total number of NCAA championship opportunities.

    A total of 5,979 female student-athletes will participate in team and individual-team championships in 1998-99 compared to 6,729 men. When regional qualifying competition is included in cross country, golf, gymnastics, tennis and wrestling, the number increases to 8,309 women and 9,067 men.

    These numbers show an approximate 50 percent female and 11 percent male growth in opportunity over the 1991-92 year when NCAA championship opportunities totaled 4,001 (female) and 6,074 (male). The 1991-92 numbers exclude regional qualifying competition.

    "The NCAA strives to provide competitive and equitable championship opportunities to both men and women," said Tricia Bork, NCAA vice-president for championships. "Although we receive no federal funds and are not legally bound by Title IX, we feel that this is an important legislation and have worked hard to set the example for our member institutions by making sure that we are in voluntary compliance with the law."