Attempts by government to mandate a level playing field prevent people from playing the game. Changing the way Title IX impacts male athletics, either by getting the OCR to change its policy or by legislative clarification, faces formidable obstacles. The courts have consistently laid down interpretations of the law that have forced colleges and universities to reduce athletics opportunities for men while expanding them for women. In Cohen v. Brown, the court determined that, despite sponsoring 17 women's sports, well above the national average, Brown University did not meet Title IX's requirements and directed the university to reinstate the two women's sports that had been dropped, but not the two men's sports. Once a men's program is dropped, it is next to impossible to bring it back in the face of Title IX's proportionality rule and budget constraints.
Students deserve to be treated fairly and equally.
The OCR must eliminate the role of proportionality in assessing whether an institution provides equivalent opportunity for athletics opportunity for both genders. Counting numbers has resulted, and will continue to result, in decreasing athletics opportunities. H. Clay McEldowney is former chair of the Friends of Princeton Wrestling. It was distressing to see a blatant violation of the NCAA substance-abuse policy on national television. At this year's Rose Bowl, an assistant coach was engaging in the use of smokeless tobacco.