Title IX, a federal mandate that provides equal opportunities to male and female athletes, benefits athletics at Mississippi State University, say many in the athletic department. Title IX, which went into effect in 1972, is a federal law that affects not only college athletics but any public education system’s athletics program.
Many believe it means that there must be as many female athletic programs as there are male athletic programs, but that is not the case.
“You have to look at the number of sports for each gender, but you also have to look at how many females attend the institution,” said Ann Carr, women’s athletic director. “Whatever that number is, you have to make sure that you afford female athletes the same that you afford male athletes.”
Female athletes here at MSU seem grateful for Title IX’s implementation and the benefits it provides both them and the rest of the athletic department.
“Without it, there probably wouldn’t be a lot of female sports played in college,” said Marneshia Richard, a sophomore Lady Bulldog basketball player. “Female athletics wouldn’t have developed to the point it is now.”
Stephanie Dallas, a junior soccer player, also sees the benefits of Title IX.
“It gives the school the opportunity to offer scholarships,” she said. “It makes sure our sports are funded by the school, and we don’t have to do fundraisers to get the things we need.”
Carr, a former MSU athlete, sees the changes that Title IX has brought between the time she played sports and the time she joined the faculty. She also pointed out that when she was an athlete, almost all of the staff in the athletic department were male, but that has changed.
“Because of Title IX, there are more female coaches, female athletic counselors, female trainers and female athletic directors,” Carr said. “There are even female managers in sports you would never expect to see them in. Women are now learning and wanting to be in those areas.”
Jay Miller, head coach of women’s softball, points out the opportunities Title IX has opened up for women’s athletics.
“Without Title IX, I probably wouldn’t even have a job,” Miller said. “There were no college softball teams before it. It gives women’s sports a tremendous opportunity to compete, and a tremendous amount of females are now able to compete at a high level.”
Carr sees the advantages Title IX has for male athletes as well as female athletes and believes it does not take anything away from the men’s sports but provides men with better opportunities.
“For example, if you are looking to upgrade your systems, men benefit from that too,” Carr said. “All athletes are going to get an advantage, not just women. Every student athlete benefits from the changes we make in our program, not just a particular sport.”
Miller points out that due to Title IX, men’s sports have also expanded, and the athletic offices of most schools have grown.
“It’s a cop-out if people use Title IX as a defense for cutting men’s sports,” Miller said. “It’s only supposed to make sure that men and women have the same opportunities.”
Dallas and Richard both believe that Title IX isn’t harming the men’s athletic programs at MSU.
They also say that their fellow athletes who are male do not see Title IX as a way to cut funding or attention from their programs.
“I don’t think the men resent Title IX,” Richard said. “A lot of people are really starting to get into the groove of women’s athletics. I think a lot of the men athletes are probably happy to see us get these opportunities.”
Dallas also voiced her opinion on the possibility of a men’s soccer team.
“As a soccer player, I love the idea of a men’s soccer team, as long as it doesn’t take away from any other program,” she said. “As long as we have the funding, I like the idea.