Mizzou softball ladies say Title IX is killing the sport

So what you are saying is that Title IX triggered a catfight at Mizzou. Got it.

87340 wrote:

Just saying, look for the story from multiple sources before sharing your outrage on the internet.

Title IX is a joke.

EOT.

Not Cool Bro wrote:

Title IX is a joke.

EOT.

Why so mad?

I don't think any reasonable person has real issues with idea that if a school has a men's xc team and has 7 scholarships then the women's xc team should have 7 scholarships, etc.. the issues with title ix is how it is applied and interpreted. That has been what has devastated male non-revenue sports.

I won't even get into the part of title ix that has created a terrible situation where colleges have been put in predicament where they are investigating and having hearings for RAPE (yes, rape!) and sexual harassment. That's much much worse than having a track team cut.

Title IX is one of the best things to happen to sports. I changed my mind about it when I started a family. Girls need more opportunities than boys because their opportunities are already limited as it is.

Also this article is poorly written and is shoddy journalism at its worst. It does not cite sources, no quotes, no proof and is illogical. As some have pointed out, this is a college team not little league so the coach is not obligated to give mediocre players playing time.

Robby Soave the author must be one of these right wing propagandists like outdated disco or e-disharmony. He likely took the words of one disgruntled player and put them out of context. Said player is likely disgruntled at not getting playing time but it has nothing to do with title IX

BigDuh wrote:

a men's xc team ... has 7 scholarships then the women's xc team should have 7 scholarships, etc.. the issues with title ix is how it is applied and interpreted.

T&F is 12.6 scholarships for men and 18 for women. The other 5.4 men have to play football.

I am surprised that baseball is 11.7 scholarships while softball is 12. That's closer than I would think, as they only have 0.3 men playing football.

Soccer is 9.9 for men, and 14.0 for women, and it would be difficult for those 4.1 men to play football.

Thanks for the recap. I was gathering that this is what it was really about, but didn't have time to dig deeper. Appreciate the explanation.

Title IX had a vital impact on women's athletics historically and came from a very well-intentioned, necessary place. Women's sports in all ranks in American society would not exist today had it not been for Title IX. Increased opportunities for competition and scholarships at the NCAA level produced greater caliber Olympic/professional athletes AND encouraged girls' youth participation. There's some good reading out there on this.

It's also important to understand that while we mostly hear about it in regards to athletic program participation, that is NOT Title IX's sole purpose (which would be enough for a whole separate thread).

With that said, it was not intended to be the death of men's Olympic sports (wrestling, gymnastics, track/xc, golf, tennis, swimming etc.) at the collegiate level. But it can't be denied that it has had that secondary impact. Football, the biggest revenue generator, does not have anywhere near an equivalent on the women's side for roster size. Men's and women's basketball, soccer, lacrosse, baseball/softball, track teams offset, but there is simply no female-only sport with 60-90 athletes per roster. Some schools resist cutting men's programs by fielding very deep rosters on female teams (seems like this Mizzou situation) or adding female programs (as Oklahoma did with women's crew a number of years ago). It's a genuine way to preserve other men's sports at the institution. Some schools don't have that financial luxury and instead entirely cut a men's sport.

Title IX should be reviewed and revisited. The positive growth of opportunities for women and the negative impact on men's Olympic sports should not be viewed in isolation or as unrelated. I don't pretend to know what the answer is.

I hope those Mizzou women somehow come to understand that they wouldn't have the opportunity they do without Title IX -- even if it includes letting some a few more women ride the bench. In addition to football, baseball and basketball, Mizzou still fields men's golf, track/xc, swimming and wrestling. If these ladies want to kick teammates off the softball roster, perhaps they should be the ones to deliver the news to an equal number of male wrestlers, swimmers, golfers and/or runners that as a direct result they are losing their scholarships/roster spots.

Oh, and all that said, if you have a daughter and you want her to get a scholarship, make sure she's a great cross country runner. As things stand now, for the cost of one scholarship, she's offsetting three football players, and that's very valuable. (Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor track are three different roster spots.)

-- female who got a free education thanks to Title IX

The sooner the Power 5 conferences break away and make their own organization the better. Then the Power 5AA can pay players in revenue sports and make all womens & Olympic sports CLUB sports. Do away with athletic scholarships altogether.

The MAC's of the world would have replace football with soccer.

Title IX would go away because womens sports are not NET profits on their own.

How say u?

Thanks for the clear explanation. Appreciated.

That was a fantastic summary of the Title IX situation, well done!

Title IX is basically affirmative action for women. This situation at Mizzou is the inevitable result of a well intentioned program having many unintended but nevertheless bad, and unjust, consequences. Not only for men but women, too.

Did you look at the other blog post links at the bottom of the page, written by the same author?

Looks like a one man crusade against womens' rights to me. Selective and incomplete at best.

messi wrote:

The sooner the Power 5 conferences break away and make their own organization the better. Then the Power 5AA can pay players in revenue sports and make all womens & Olympic sports CLUB sports. Do away with athletic scholarships altogether.

The MAC's of the world would have replace football with soccer.

Title IX would go away because womens sports are not NET profits on their own.

How say u?

I've been screaming that same line for years. If the schools don't offer grants in aid i.e scholarships, then they are free from title ix. Those football players would be employees, or independent contractors; not "student athletes".

87340 kind of nailed it. Well done.

Looking at their current roster, to see if anybody might have a beef... 20 players listed. How does that compare to other college Softball rosters? Nebraska was their last game, Nebraska carries 19 on their roster. How about the game before that - BYU, who carries 17 on their roster. maybe 20 is a little high, but it's not like they're double what anybody else carries.

Looking at playing time... They have played 56 games so far this season. 42-14 record, nice job! 14 position players have played in 30 or more games, all 4 pitchers have appeared in 19 or more games. 14 + 4 would seem to account for most of the roster.

In the immortal words of Stevie Nicks that my 6th grade health teacher Mr. Kralovic (who by the way has about a 35 year running streak going) wrote on the chalkboard one day "Players only love you when they're playin' ".

Not to mention Title IX has destroyed many male programs throughout the country.

And, many female advocates claim College Football gets too much from the NCAA.

Statistics show that most college teams, like women's and men's swimming, squash, and yes, even track receive funds from football's profits. So, watch what you wish for, you just might get it.

Correct!

Schneider wrote:

Title IX is a great dog whistle for unsuccessful white boys.

Indeed. One softball player thinks she should get field time over another, and somehow T9 is the culprit. I've competed, coached and watched track at a lot of levels and whether the biggest dog on the track at a given meet is male or female could not be more 50:50.