91ÉçÇø

Athletics and Title IX at 91ÉçÇø

How does Title IX apply to athletics?

Athletics programs are considered educational programs and activities. There are three basic parts of Title IX as it applies to athletics:

1. Participation: Title IX requires that women and men be provided equitable opportunities to participate in sports. Title IX does not require institutions to offer identical sports but an equal opportunity to play;                          
2. Scholarships: Title IX requires that female and male student-athletes receive athletics scholarship dollars proportional to their participation; and                          
3. Other benefits: Title IX requires the equal treatment of female and male student-athletes in the provisions of: (a) equipment and supplies; (b) scheduling of games and practice times; (c) travel and daily allowance/per diem; (d) access to tutoring; (e) coaching, (f) locker rooms, practice,and competitive facilities; (g) medical and training facilities and services; (h) housing and dining facilities and services; (i) publicity and promotions; (j) support services and (k) recruitment of student-athletes.

Senior Woman Administrator  (SWA)

The senior woman administrator (SWA) is the highest-ranking female in each NCAA athletics department or conference office. The purpose of the SWA designation is to promote meaningful representation of women in the leadership and management of college sports.

The NCAA membership voted to create the SWA designation in 1981 — the same year it added women’s championships — to ensure women were involved in the male-dominated administration of college athletics. Schools and conference offices are not legislatively required to have an SWA, although 99 percent of NCAA schools do.

At 91ÉçÇø, Chris Pier — our Associate Athletic Director-Budget and Compliance — is the SWA (cpier@lakeforest.edu). At times, the SWA will coordinate with the Title IX Office.

Many SWAs are involved in senior-level management decisions within athletics on their campuses and in their conference offices. Athletics directors and commissioners are encouraged to designate the SWA as a lead on major athletic projects, depending on her level of experience and professional development interests. SWAs should have oversight of both men’s and women’s sports, as well as sports deemed revenue and nonrevenue generators.

Athletics departments and conference offices that optimize the SWA designation create the opportunity for these types of positive outcomes:

• Enhanced quality of decision-making resulting from the inclusion of diverse perspectives at the campus, conference and national levels.
• Professional success for the SWA, resulting in leadership demographics more reflective of the student-athlete population.
• Visible presence of female role models for student-athletes and staff.
• Diverse points of contact on the senior management team for student-athletes and staff to bring issues or concerns.

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