Recommitting to Title IX: A Continued Investment in Equity

In 1972, Title IX changed the course of education and sports in America while paving the way to previously uncharted opportunities for girls and women. On this 50th anniversary of Title IX, how do we build on this landmark policy for the next 50 years? As leaders in intercollegiate athletics face rapid change and multiple challenges, Title IX provides a firm foundation for this increasingly complex future.

With the evolution of name, image, and likeness rights and transfer rules changing the operating models of college sports, institutions are questioning financial sustainability for athletics departments while campus wellness concerns are growing ever more urgent. Huron shares a passion and commitment for helping institutions achieve the promise and opportunity that Title IX provides.

Huron is fully committed to advancing the core tenets of Title IX to honor this golden anniversary. We encourage the broader intercollegiate athletics community of presidents, provosts, chief financial officers, athletics directors, coaches, trainers, Title IX coordinators, student-athletes, and the entire community of college sports to join us in our pledge:

• Invest adequate funding levels in sustaining women’s sports.
• Identify causes of mental and physical health matters facing all student-athletes and create effective and accessible support systems.
• Increase the presence of women in leadership roles across athletics departments and compensate equitably.
• Enhance equity in marketing activities and promotional materials to feature more women’s college sports, student-athletes, and coaches.
• Drive more campus, local, and regional community engagement with women’s Olympic sports to strengthen ties between the athletics and education landscapes.
• Work with sponsors, vendors, and other partners that value diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Weigh considerations for transgender athletes within the guiding principles of Title IX commitments.
• Create more visibility and access to campus Title IX resources.

Title IX is a policy that has encouraged participation and support in college sports for the last 50 years and will continue to do so for the next generation of student-athletes. Recommitting to all that Title IX offers provides the foundation for a sustainable, bright future in intercollegiate athletics.