Landmark Title IX Case comes to a close after decade of review

Colorado State University recently received praise for its efforts to provide equal opportunities for its student-athletes.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that the school had accomplished significant strides in compliance with Title IX, and that no ongoing monitoring of the athletics program was necessary.

The program had undergone nearly a decade of intense federal scrutiny regarding compliance issues related to Title IX.

"The decision to close this review reflects the commitment of the university and the athletics department toward presenting student-athletes, coaches and staff members at Colorado State with an equal opportunity to compete and represent the institution," said Tim Weiser, Colorado State's athletics director.

Earlier this summer, the university submitted a progress report to OCR addressing the school's efforts in several areas, including financial compensation for head coaches and assistant coaches, publicity efforts and recruitment of prospective student-athletes. The OCR made the decision to close the review after examining the most recent progress report.

Lillian Gutierrez, director of the OCR's Denver enforcement office, released a letter detailing OCR's closure of the review.

"It is of first importance in this discussion to realize that women's sports at (Colorado State) are thriving and succeeding, giving every indication that the availability and assignment of coaches to women's teams is equivalent with the men's athletics program," Gutierrez wrote.

Hitting in Holland

Manchester College baseball coach Rick Espeset had a summer he'll remember. Espeset took his coaching expertise to Holland, where he guided the U.S. Baseball Stars, a team of young people ages 13 to 15, to an international championship.

The U.S. Baseball Stars played several friendly contests before entering the three-day Robur '58, a tournament that hosts players from all over the world.

Key wins in the Stars' 6-0 record included a 13-0 win over Germany, an 11-1 victory over the Netherlands and a 16-1 win over the Czech Republic. The team defeated the Netherlands again, 10-6, for the championship.

Espeset has been the Spartans' head coach for four seasons and was named Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference coach of the year in 1998.

One for the books

University of Wisconsin, Parkside, coach Rick Kilps became only the third men's soccer coach in NCAA Division II history to win 300 games when the Rangers defeated Lincoln University (Missouri), 8-0, recently in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Wisconsin-Parkside won again two days later, beating Western Ontario, 1-0, to bring Kilps' career record to 301-114-31.

News remodeling

If you're thinking that page 3 of The NCAA News looks a little different, you're right. The News has done a little remodeling that will allow us to present popular material in a more colorful way. We've colorized our Briefly in the News section and added Number Crunching and Looking Back as regular page 3 features.

Committee Notices, which used to appear on page 3 in every issue, has moved to a new section called Membership Information, which also will contain regular items such as the Legislative Assistance column, and irregularly published material such as the State Legislation Report and the Governmental Affairs Report. The Membership Information section in this issue begins on page 21.

Our back page is different, too. We've expanded the End Zone to include more of the extraordinary achievements from the many NCAA student-athletes who provide examples of leadership in the classroom, in the community and on the field.

The End Zone features examples of good sportsmanship, academic success, community outreach and exceptional acts of kindness or charity. If you have such success stories on your campus, let us know. Forward material for either the End Zone or Briefly to Kay Hawes, NCAA News assistant editor, at khawes@ncaa.org for consideration.

-- Compiled by Kay Hawes

Looking back

August 1995 -- A federal judge rules that the NCAA's compensation limitations in the restricted-earnings coach position are in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The restricted-earnings coach position was approved at the 1991 Convention as part of a legislative effort to aid with the development of new coaches and to contain intercollegiate athletics costs while maintaining competitive equity. Judge Kathryn Vratil wrote that she accepted that cost-cutting measures are needed, that amateurism and competitive equity should be maintained, and that retaining a coaching position for an entry-level coach benefits both coaches and NCAA member institutions. "Nevertheless," she wrote, "the NCAA has not demonstrated the necessary link between these stated objectives and the restricted-earnings coach rule." (The NCAA News, August 30, 1995)

August 1985 -- The final four teams in the 1985 Division I Women's Basketball Championship earned better than 1,000 percent more than the 1984 participants, receiving $7,368 each compared to $696 the previous year. The increase is attributed to a new television contract with CBS Sports and to rising attendance. About 99,000 paying fans attended the 1985 tournament compared to about 77,500 in 1984. Television rights fees also climbed from $125,000 in 1984 to $310,000 in 1985. "This is a sign of what the event is worth to people out there," said Tricia Bork, NCAA director of women's championships. (The NCAA News, August 28, 1985).

"We have never asked HEW or Congress to exempt revenue-producing sports from Title IX. We have asked only that NCAA members be permitted, if they individually wish, to maintain intercollegiate athletics programs that have proven popular and therefore productive of revenue. Without a doubt, HEW's Title IX program is calculated -- and I think by some even intentionally so -- to destroy those popular and successful college sports."

-- NCAA President John A. Fuzak, faculty athletics representative at Michigan State University, from his testimony in front of a Congressional subcommittee June 20, 1975. Fuzak questioned HEW (U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare) proposed regulations that implied college football receives federal assistance on the basis that it may benefit from federally guaranteed student loans unrelated to athletics.

Number crunching

Heisman Trophy winners by position

If past history is any indication, running back is the position to play in order to win a Heisman Trophy. Forty winners, including the past two, Ricky Williams from the University of Texas at Austin and Ron Dayne from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, have played running back. The last non-running back to win the award was Charles Woodson, a defensive back from the University of Michigan in 1997. Woodson is the only defensive back to win the award in its 65-year history.

Heisman winners, 1984-99

1984 Doug Flutie, QB, Boston College

1985 Bo Jackson, RB, Auburn

1986 Vinny Testaverde, QB, Miami (Florida)

1987 Tim Brown, WR, Notre Dame

1988 Barry Sanders, RB, Oklahoma State

1989 Andre Ware, QB, Houston

1990 Ty Detmer, QB, Brigham Young

1991 Desmond Howard, WR, Michigan

1992 Gino Torretta, QB, Miami (Florida)

1993 Charlie Ward, QB, Florida State

1994 Rashaan Salaam, RB, Colorado

1995 Eddie George, RB, Ohio State

1996 Danny Wuerffel, QB, Florida

1997 Charles Woodson, DB, Michigan

1998 Ricky Williams, RB, Texas

1999 Ron Dayne, RB, Wisconsin