50 years of
TITLE IX
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. 3 million
While sport opportunities have grown exponentially, the gender gap persists.
1 million
The number of additional high school
sport opportunities girls have now
versus before Title IX.1
The number of high school sport
opportunities that girls miss out
on as compared to boys.1
Girls still do not have the participation opportunities provided to boys pre-Title IX (3.4 million girls vs. 3.6 million boys).1
75%
of boys participate in
high school sport.2
60%
of girls participate in
high school sport.2
High SchoolParticipation
Boys’ and Girls’ High School Sports Participation,
1971-1972 to 2018-20191
Millions of participation slots
5 4.5
4 3.5
3 2.5
2 1.5
1 0.5
0 1971-1972 2018-2019
3,666,917
294,015
4,534,758
3,402,733
Collegiate Participation
Since Title IX, women’s participation in college athletics has increased.
Today, women make up 44% of all NCAA athletes (compared to 15% pre-Title IX, when fewer than 30,000 women played college sports).3 Despite this progress, women’s collegiate athletics still lags behind men’s. 60,000
The number of additional collegiate sport
opportunities men have as compared to women.3
Collegiate women are doubly impacted by lack of opportunity and the correlating lack of scholarship dollars that are often associated with them.
Men’s and Women’s College Sports
Participation, 1971-1972 to 2020-20213
Additionally, BIPOC
women still lag
behind white women
in collegiate sports
participation.
30%
of all college athletes
are white women.5
14%
of all college athletes
are BIPOC women.5
Collegiate Leadership
Thousands of
participation slots
300
250
200
150
100
50 0
1971-1972 2020-2021
170,384
29,977
275,769
215,486
This gap is even larger when enrollment is considered as women make up a larger share of the college student population.
While sport opportunities for girls and women have grown exponentially since Title IX was passed, the number of women coaches tells a very different story.
90%
of women’s
collegiate teams
were coached
by women in
1971.6
41%
of women’s NCAA
teams had a woman
head coach in the
2020-21 academic
year.6
6%
of men’s NCAA
teams had a woman
head coach in the
2020-21 academic
year.6
BIPOC women are underrepresented in collegiate athletic leadership. 7%
of head coaches of women’s
sports are BIPOC women.
34% are white women.7
4%
of Athletic Directors are BIPOC
women. 20% are white women.7
WomensSportsFoundation.org
Sources: 1. National Federation of State High School Associations; 2. Zarrett, N., Veliz, P ., & Sabo, D. (2018). Teen Sport in America: Why Participation Matters. Women’s Sports Foundation. Sources: 3. NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Report, 1971-72 and 2020- 21; 4. National Student Clearinghouse, 2021; 5. NCAA Race and Gender Demographics Database, 2020-21. Sources: 6. NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Report, 1971-72 and 2020-21; 7. NCAA Race and Gender Demographics Database, 2020-21.
Notes: NFHS tracks only official high school sports. The raw number of participants reported by the NFHS is based on what is reported by each high school in terms of “slots” . So, if a girl participates in both basketball and volleyball, she is counted twice. The same is true for boys. Participation data for 2018-19 school year is the most recent available, as the NFHS was unable to release its annual summary due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
©2022, Women’s Sports Foundation, All Rights Reserved. Compiled by the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Cannot be reprinted without permission from the Women’s Sports Foundation.
Men Women
Boys Girls
Men Women
“
“
75% 60%
7% 4%
College
Enrollment
by Sex.3
40.5%
59.5%
College Sport
Opportunities
by Sex.3
56.1%
43.9%
Men Women