Olympic Excellence in Women's Sports-- Thanks, College Football?

[BucBisonAtLarge]

The 2012 success of US women in various disciplines, from to athletics to volleyball and water polo, has been unparalleled. Here in the 40th anniversary year of Title IX, can the number of programs being operated at the high school and college level in women's sports be credited in part to the commitment to keep football on campus?

The number of women playing olympic sports at an elite level in college has never been greater. The paradigm shift, where girls expect now to play sports, even impacts disciplines like gymnastics, where the elite are selected and trained at an even younger age.

As the uncle of five nieces, one an all-New England cross country runner and another an elite gymnast and a third briefly a rower at college, know that expectations of girls have altered and so have the opportunities.

Regardless of scholarship levels, the sheer humber of varsity slots in sport are increased in the presence of football-- sports like water polo, and women's rowing, particularly on the east coast.

[BucBisonAtLarge]

OK, the silence is deafening-- resume bitching about Title IX, and don't look for a positive argument when some unimaginative faculty member or sportswriter comes hunting on the gridiron during budget cuts.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Yes, I would think college football should get a lot of credit, because a bunch of government mucky mucks decided not offsetting football scholarships with scholarships for women is discriminatory, regardless of what a huge majority of athletics revenue football is responsible for.

[GoAgs72]

Yes, I think women's sports have greatly improved with Title IX. On the other hand, men's gymnastics, wrestling, etc. have taken a big hit. Maybe we should just start women's football - I know there are some women who would love even if it was flag.

[bojeta]

OK, the silence is deafening-- resume bitching about Title IX, and don't look for a positive argument when some unimaginative faculty member or sportswriter comes hunting on the gridiron during budget cuts.


Sometimes I think silence is a good indicator you made a really valid point. I read your post and couldn't argue with it.

[BucBisonAtLarge]

I kinda regretted the tone of my second comment. I cannot argue with the comments regarding men's volleyball and wrestling, either, but I notice that, like football, wrestling is finding its way back, Men's volleyball has never been much of an east coast college sport, but even there, DIII just split off to conduct its own NCAA men's volleyball championship.