Mississippi State University is known for many things-our athletic department has been one of them. We have had our ups and downs when it comes to different sports, but overall, we have done a great job. What bothers me is the fact that we do not support our female athletes when they work just as hard the men. For example, our Lady Bulldogs in basketball have yet had half the crowd at a basketball game than our Bulldogs draw. I have heard excuses such as: “I just do not like to see women play.” “It is not the same because they are not as aggressive.” No offense to the men, but I know a couple of Lady Bulldogs that can put some men to shame. Do not get me wrong-I love both squads, but our girls need more respect.
I am not speaking only in basketball terms; this problem exists in all sports-from track to volleyball. Women athletes are almost invisible. In 1993, only 5 percent of televised sports news covered women’s sports. In print media, a study of four major newspapers found that fewer than 5 percent of all sports stories were devoted to women only.
Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in federally-funded education, including athletics. As a result of this law, more women have received athletic scholarships and opportunities for a higher education. Not only that, the salaries of coaches for women’s teams increased. Still, women college athletes receive less than 26 percent of college sports’ operating budgets and less than 28 percent of college recruiting money. Is that fair? I don’t think so!
I am sure many people can back up men and say such things like: “Well, our football and basketball boys help to keep the alumni giving to the university.” The fact is the schools that receive the most from alumni donations are not the ones with the big football and basketball teams.
Harvard, Cornell, and Yale universities are on the top list with the most money given by alumni. On top of that, some of the colleges with the most alumni donations per student are women’s colleges, including Wellesley and Randolph Macon.
Do football teams really need 105 players, with 85 on full-ride scholarships? A football team is made up of only 11 players. Even with four full teams (two to play against each other in practice, and two extra teams), that is still only 44 players. In fact, the huge number of football scholarships is one reason schools have trouble funding women’s teams. Often, schools will cut minor men’s sports rather than cut football funding. I love football, but it does not make the world go around. The male athletes whose budgets are being cut tend to blame the female athletes instead of the bloated football budget.
More money is spent around the world recruiting male athletes. The institutional average for athletic recruitment for Division I schools is $139,000 for men’s sports, and almost $29,000 for women’s sports. I am not saying that women should get half of what men are getting because I know that men’s sports bring in a lot of money, but such a huge budget difference is sad.
The Feminist Organization Web site also states: “Athletics affect pay equity, leadership development and women’s health. The exclusion of women from sports creates a false image of women as the weaker sex, which leads to our exploitation in all walks of life. Feminists and women in athletics must join together to end discrimination against women and girls in sports.