In March 2021, the women’s tournament participants were treated like second class citizens.
March 8th is International Women’s Day. It also is a celebration of the PatsyT. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act or Title IX. The legislation was draftedin the early 1970s with bipartisan support and was signed into law by PresidentRichard Nixon on June 23rd, 1972. Title IX’s mandate? Colleges that tookfederal money had to offer men and women equal opportunity at educationalcourses. It broke down quota systems. Today, Title IX seems to be all aboutsports. But it is about education not sports. Decades long criticism ofTitle IX is simple. Women’s sports takes too much money away from men’s sportsprograms and it is Title IX that is to blame because colleges have to fieldwomen’s teams whether they like it or not. Title IX is an educationalopportunity law. But in 2021, the National Collegiate Athletic Association’sconduct presenting the Women’s Basketball Tournament seemed to forget thatwomen basketball players were equal to men’s players. The men’s teams receivedfirst class treatment. The women’s teams were treated like second classcitizens.
Complaints appeared in March, 2021 on social media platforms that training facilities along with food options and swag bags were better for the men playing in the men’s NCAA’s basketball tournament than for the women playing inthe women’s basketball tournament which seemed to be in clear violation of the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act or Title IX. Colleges and universities that take federal money have to be in compliance with Title IX.The NCAA’s Board of Governors was fine after not providing equal training facilities, food and gifts to women basketball players in March and then quickly said this was wrong. The NCAA showed inequalities still exist in college sports. In 2022, the NCAA promises life will change for its women’s basketball teams.
Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/author/evan-weiner/id595575191
