Sport gender gap

According to Mary Ann Tripoti, assistant athletic director at Cal State Long Beach is in complete compliance with the gender-equity provisions of Title IX, legislation that outlaws gender discrimination within schools that are receiving federal funds.

Title IX was passed more than 25 years ago to ensure equal facilities, budgets, uniforms and competition schedules for women.

As fair as the legislation sounds, it holds no ground as there is no enforcement agency to oversee school operations. According to Donna Lopiano, executive director of the Women's Sports Foundation, between 80 and 90 percent of universities affiliated with Title IX do not follow its requirements.

An NCAA Gender-Equity study revealed that 75 percent of funds directed toward athletics programs goes into men's sports. In addition, salaries for women coaches are less than half of their male counterparts and women only receive 38 percent of scholarship dollars.

Women's sports coaches reportedly are being harassed by school officials when asking for supplies when men's teams at the same schools are readily handed whatever is needed.

An upswell in civil suits brought against schools across the nation by athletes and coaches will ultimately test Title IX's merit.

Regardless of Title IX, coaches of women's teams should receive the same treatment as their male counterparts.