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Money, Race and Gender: Women's Sports Foundation Releases Definitive Report on Who's Playing College Sports, Explores Diversity

The report examines a broad range of factors impacting these patterns including the most frequently discussed: Title IX and rapid expenditure growth. The findings indicate that rapidly increasing spending -- 7% per year after inflation -- on athletic programs like football and basketball is restricting other athletic opportunities. Who's Playing College Sports? Money, Race and Gender also broadens the participation dialogue by exploring other factors which have impacted patterns including:

    --  changes in high school sports participation;
    --  rising health care costs;
    --  increased numbers of international students;
    --  the rise of enrollment management strategies; and
    --  the implication of these participation trends on college sports'
        diversity.

"There is no simple explanation for the growth of certain sports and declines in others," stated researcher John Cheslock. "Today colleges are more willing to drop a sport like gymnastics because of its high insurance costs or add lacrosse where most kids playing come from families that are able to pay full tuition," continued the researcher.

The Women's Sports Foundation released Who's Playing College Sports? Money, Race and Gender, in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Battle of the Sexes -- the King/Riggs match in which the organization's founder Billie Jean King, changed minds about women's place in sports. "In 1973, few could fathom a woman defeating a man in a sporting event," King said of the historic match. "Thirty-five years later, we have seen dramatic improvements with both women and men are participating in more sports at the college level. But as much as my match against Bobby brought us closer to the true meaning of Title IX, we still have a ways to go."

Also examined in the report are the implications of these changes on athletic diversity. Most colleges already offer traditional sports like volleyball, which are highly diverse. Some add emerging sports, such as equestrian and synchronized swimming when attempting to boost rates of women playing, but few women of color play these sports. The unfortunate result in recent years -- more women, less diversity. To improve diversity, the report recommends that schools take steps to increase the number of athletes of color playing less diverse sports. The report also suggests that schools get creative, following the example ofNew York City, which recently introduced double Dutch as a varsity sport. Non-traditional sports like double Dutch may have been previously overlooked but may prove important as such sports can simultaneously expand opportunities for athletes of color and women.

For the full report, visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.

Contact: Jaime McBeth

Women's Sports Foundation

(646) 912.8099

JMcBeth@WomensSportsFoundation.org

SOURCE Women?s Sports Foundation