An independent reviewer has determined that the University of Iowa athletic department is in Title IX compliance.
The review was completed by Gabriel Feldman, a sports law professor at Tulane University. Feldman visited the University of Iowa to assess its facilities and programs on Aug. 22.
Feldman released her report on Oct. 1 as part of a September 2021 settlement following legal action taken by four former UI women's swimmers who filed a Title IX complaint after women's swimming was discontinued at the school in 2020.
As part of an out-of-court settlement, Iowa Athletics agreed to pay the swimmers $400,000 to cover attorney's fees and other costs related to the litigation. Iowa's addition of women's wrestling in Sept. of 2021 was also part of the agreement.
According to The Daily Iowan, Feldman's report found no material issues with the opportunities Iowa Athletics provided its female athletes to compete and practice. Feldman added that there weren’t any disparities in coaching opportunities, quality of coaching, access to strength and conditioning programs, insurance coverage, and medical care.
The only major inequity Feldman discovered related to the women's gymnastics facilities.
“Currently, the women’s gymnastics facility — which was shared with the men’s gymnastics team until it was recently eliminated — is not on par with the impressive facilities used by most of the other UI teams,” Feldman wrote. “The existing facility has limited gym space, inadequate locker room and restroom facilities, limited facilities for strength and conditioning or training and recovery on-site, and limited temperature and humidity controls.”
UI has plans to construct a new 30,000-square-foot gymnastics facility that could cost of up $9 million.
Feldman reported that 52 percent of the UI’s active student-athletes are women. He added that 53 percent of the $11.3 million in aid Iowa provided its student-athletes went to women.
