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ABSTRACT
This study documents the origin and development of athletics for women at Indiana University (IU) during the years of 1965-2014. This time frame was selected to address the era of transition from extramural sports to varsity athletics at IU with emphasis on the effect of Title IX on women's athletics. The varsity athletics program for women evolved out of the extramural sports program in the Department of Physical Education for Women. Title IX of the Educational Amendments passed in 1972 brought changes to the administration and to the funding of women's athletics. Stakeholders at Indiana University disagreed about the nature of change, the speed of change and the funding of changes. The Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988 required IU to increase program offerings and funding for women's sports. Stakeholders fought over increases and implementations of Title IX that affected both men's and women's athletics. While gender equity has yet to be realized, the university continues to work towards growing funding and participation opportunities for women's athletic programs.
Keywords: Women's Intercollegiate Athletics, Title IX, NCAA, College Athletics
INTRODUCTION
The intercollegiate athletic program at Indiana University (IU) has a rich history of tradition and success. Athletic teams from IU have captured 24 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships and one Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national championship. The university has earned over 125 Big Ten team titles. Former coaches such as Bob Knight, James "Doc" Councilman, and Jerry Yeagley established a tradition of excellence in athletics at IU. Perhaps most widely publicized is the legacy of men's basketball (Hammel & Klingelhoffer, 1999). While the athletic department at IU is rich with tradition, doubtless the least publicized and least understood athletic legacy at IU is the development of the women's intercollegiate athletic program (Gregg, 2012).
This study is to documents the history of administrative decisions at IU that shaped the current structure of the women's athletic program. It emphasizes the struggles caused by the interaction of legislation, particularly Title IX, with alternative objectives held by key stakeholders of IU's athletic department. This study serves as a point of reference for current inequities evident within intercollegiate athletics and sheds light on the power of key stakeholders to shape policy and organizational decision-making.
THEORETICAL...