FORT WORTH, Texas — On Thursday, Geno Auriemma, the coach for UConn women’s basketball, asserted that Title IX’s statutory provisions are, in practice, “virtually defunct. … I believe the majority of NCAA regulations have similarly become obsolete.”
Auriemma, presently in his 41st season guiding the Huskies and standing merely four victories shy of securing his 13th national championship, faced an inquiry about whether women’s sports, given its expansion, has advanced sufficiently to operate independently of Title IX.
“My perception is that within major athletic conferences, Title IX’s relevance is probably past,” Auriemma remarked while his squad geared up for Friday’s Sweet 16 contest against North Carolina. “I doubt that when a figure of $20.5 million is mentioned for allocation [per school in distribution of shared income], the response is, ‘Indeed, women’s basketball will receive an equivalent sum to football and men’s basketball.'”
“Certainly, certain educational institutions are striving diligently to adhere to those principles regarding figures and prospects for scholarships, however, when financial backing and investment into such programs are considered, which would imply parity, I no longer observe that level of equivalence as frequently as I did initially.”
Title IX, a pivotal statutory enactment, was enacted in 1972, forbidding gender-based bias within educational initiatives and pursuits, notably sports, for federally funded establishments.
However, the panorama of collegiate athletics has undergone a profound transformation, particularly since 2021, a year when competitors gained the explicit right to monetize their personal branding, image, and publicity rights. Commencing last year, institutions acquired the capacity to remunerate their student-athletes directly. Nevertheless, the administration led by President Donald Trump concluded that Title IX is inapplicable to such arrangements, leading to apprehensions that sports divisions are channeling the bulk of these funds towards financially lucrative sports such as football and men’s basketball, to the detriment of women’s and Olympic athletic programs.
“Regrettably, greater impartiality will need to be achieved via the method by which conference administrators and athletic directors opt to continue financially supporting this sport,” Auriemma stated. “This represents the sole viable approach.”
Furthermore, Auriemma addressed numerous other broad subjects. He restated his aversion to the two-location regional format for women’s basketball — an arrangement slated to persist for no fewer than five additional seasons — and articulated that the sport ought not to perceive a compulsion to relocate to impartial venues for the initial two tournament rounds.
“Should you assure me that every initial and subsequent round game, irrespective of venue, would be at full capacity, then I would endorse such a move,” Auriemma declared, highlighting that the majority of other collegiate athletic disciplines similarly allow institutions to stage post-season contests. “Nonetheless, the truth remains that they would not be unless specific locations are chosen.”
He also fielded questions regarding remarks made by Syracuse coach Felisha Legette-Jack following the Orange’s second-round defeat by the Huskies in Storrs, wherein she lamented her teams’ incessant assignment to UConn’s subregional bracket.
“I comprehend her perspective,” Auriemma stated. “I have not participated in any of those oversight bodies, yet if one consistently lands in the 8-9 or 7-8-9 matchup, a 1 or 2 seed will typically be the outcome. Why the recurring placement against the identical opponent? To that query, I possess no response.”