Expanding Opportunities or Perpetuating Inequity? Assessing the Impact of New Women’s Sports Teams on Title IX Compliance and Diversity in NCAA Athletics

This article critically examines Title IX and the expansion of intercollegiate women’s sports programs through the lens of institutional theory, positing that Title IX functions as an “institutional myth” that falls short of achieving its aims of access and equity due to divergent institutional logics in the different National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) divisions. Using panel data from 2003 to 2023, this article employs a fixed effects model to analyze the impact of newly introduced women’s sports at NCAA institutions on Title IX compliance. Additionally, it offers a descriptive analysis of demographic data of coaches and athletes in these sports to evaluate whether these additions expanded participation and coaching opportunities for women, with a particular focus on Women of Color. The findings indicate that these new sports reproduce existing gender and racial disparities but also show signs of progress. The article concludes with targeted recommendations for boosting opportunities for women in college athletics.