Femininity and Athleticism: Title IX at the University of Oregon

105 pagesTitle IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex at any educational institution that received federal funding. Intended to focus on unfair admission practices, Title IX became known for improving the treatment of female intercollegiate athletes. However, the intricacies of implementing federal standards of gender equality presented substantial challenges, and colleges and universities confronted the ideological intersection of femininity and athleticism in different ways. The University of Oregon administration remedied cases of overt discrimination, most notably in facility access, but acute inequities persisted. Becky Sisley, the first and only Director of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics for the University of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex at any educational institution that received federal funding. Intended to focus on unfair admission practices, Title IX became known for improving the treatment of female intercollegiate athletes. However, the intricacies of implementing federal standards of gender equality presented substantial challenges, and colleges and universities confronted the ideological intersection of femininity and athleticism in different ways. The University of Oregon administration remedied cases of overt discrimination, most notably in facility access, but acute inequities persisted. Becky Sisley, the first and only Director of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics for the University ofTitle IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex at any educational institution that received federal funding. Intended to focus on unfair admission practices, Title IX became known for improving the treatment of female intercollegiate athletes. However, the intricacies of implementing federal standards of gender equality presented substantial challenges, and colleges and universities confronted the ideological intersection of femininity and athleticism in different ways. The University of Oregon administration remedied cases of overt discrimination, most notably in facility access, but acute inequities persisted. Becky Sisley, the first and only Director of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics for the University of Oregon, served as the driving force for changing athletic policies for women athletes. In extensive interviews, former female athletes corroborated this struggle for recognition. Archival evidence shows the University of Oregon administration increased funding for women’s athletics during the 1970’s. However, the Women’s Intercollegiate Association survived on a meager budget and remained autonomous until the Athletic Department combined men’s and women’s athletics in 1977. The merger, and Sisley’s resignation shortly thereafter, hindered any further attempts for reaching true equality. Title IX presented a paradox for women’s athletics: an expansion of equality for female athletes, but a decline in autonomy for coaches and administrators of women’s athletics. Discrimination against female athletes persists at the University of Oregon and there is just cause to explore gender equality in all aspects of higher education