Our Comment on the State of Women in College Sports
We recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of Title IX being signed into law by President Nixon. As noted, it was a turning point for women in college sports and equality in general. But has everything actually changed for the better?
After the celebration of the anniversary, the NCAA released a report that put a microscope over the landscape of women in collegiate athletics. The report is titled “The State of Women in College Sports,” and the findings are concerning.
Amid all the growth, men’s programs continue to receive almost triple the amount of resources compared to women’s. This has created a major discrepancy when it comes to recruiting capabilities in women’s athletics.
Supposedly, these findings don’t automatically mean that there are Title IX violations occurring. This appears to be a perfect example of what Title IX was intended to outlaw though. An NCAA managing director said that this has raised concerns when evaluating whether schools are providing equitable opportunities for both genders.
With the recent NIL rules coming into effect, the landscape of collegiate recruiting has changed considerably. Men’s football and basketball specifically have become almost entirely money-focused regarding recruitment.
NIL sponsorship deals are less plentiful and less lucrative in women’s college athletics. Additionally, as noted in the NCAA’s report, the college programs aren’t putting equal money or resources into recruiting female athletes.
Signing Day Sports recognizes this inequity. Athletes should be enabled and encouraged to take matters into their own hands if Title IX doesn’t help them to get recruited and a school won’t grant them the necessary resources.
The NCAA’s lead author for its report, Amy Wilson noted, “I think it’s enough of a gap that we need to ask ourselves: are there opportunities that could be created and more teams that could be formed?”
What this may allude to is the need for a new system. If college coaches in women’s athletics can’t see you or directly connect with you, why can’t you flip the script? Reach out to them; put the information they need directly in their laps.
Of course, this is a tried method that has had varying levels of success over the years. But there isn’t a blueprint for contacting college coaches. With the hundreds, if not thousands of emails filling coaches’ inboxes, one little thing can deter a coach from taking a second glance.
It’s important to be clear, concise and purposeful when contacting a coach. The easier you make it for them, the more likely they are to consider you as a prospect. Using an app like Signing Day Sports compiles a list of pertinent information relevant to getting an athlete recruited. And in a world where getting on a coach’s radar is becoming increasingly difficult for women, the app can provide an easy bridge.
Any method that can increase the visibility of women in sports should be considered. And at Signing Day Sports, we believe in each and every method that can facilitate this visibility.
As unfair as it is that women are seemingly asked to take extra steps in order to achieve the same outcome as men; take solace in the fact that there are services with the sole purpose of increasing the likelihood that you will be recruited.
Signing Day Sports will not allow this troubling trend to continue to hinder female athlete’s journeys. Our goal is, and has been, to give anybody the chance to participate in collegiate sports. Join us in the fight against this current course of college athletics and take matters into your own hands.