Auriemma: Title IX 'pretty much out the window'
Why it matters: The financial evolution of college sports threatens Title IX's impact, potentially widening the equity gap.
- Geno Auriemma believes Title IX is "pretty much out the window" for big conferences, especially regarding funding, despite its 1972 mandate against sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs.
- Auriemma highlights that new revenue sharing payouts, NIL deals, and direct athlete payments are disproportionately benefiting revenue-rich sports, with the Trump administration determining Title IX does not apply to these deals.
- He suggests that future equity for women's sports will depend solely on the funding decisions of conference commissioners and athletic directors, rather than Title IX legislation.
- Auriemma also expressed his dislike for the women's basketball tournament's two-site regionals and argued against neutral sites for early rounds unless sold-out games could be guaranteed.
UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma contends that Title IX legislation is effectively obsolete in major college athletics, particularly concerning funding and the new landscape of NIL deals and direct athlete payments. He argues that the financial realities of revenue-generating sports like football and men's basketball overshadow the original intent of Title IX, leaving women's sports reliant on conference and athletic director decisions for equitable funding.
