Cutting Sports in the Context of Title IX, COVID-19

Legal521 Feat

On August 21, 2020, the University of Iowa announced that it was eliminating the men's and women's swimming and diving, men's gymnastics and men's tennis teams. And those suddenly homeless Hawkeyes were not alone. From Stanford University to Appalachian State, schools have cut more than 300 teams from athletic programs throughout the United States since the fall of 2019.

Although the largest number of cuts took place at the NCAA Division I level, cuts were felt at community and junior colleges, NAIA schools, and all levels of the NCAA. They are largely in reaction to the harsh reality that American universities face more than $120 billion in negative financial impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.

When female athletes lose their opportunities, there is often an uproar — as there was in response to Iowa's actions — and the issue of whether cutting teams is contrary to Title IX is an important one that will be felt for years to come in college athletics as the impacts of the pandemic continue.
 

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