Sports VIEW

The ruling is in and competitive cheerleading can be called an athletic endeavor and can maintain its moniker as a competitive sport, but U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill ruled that colleges cannot count it as a sport as a means to comply with Title IX, the gender equity law.

Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. had axed its women’s volleyball program, along with men’s golf and outdoor track in attempts to save money, but instead found itself facing a gender-equity lawsuit filed by the women’s volleyball coach and players citing genderequity law violation.

Quinnipiac had counted its new 30- member strong women’s competitive cheer members to show equity in its sports offerings. However, the school also continues to face scrutiny and criticism for fudging the numbers by counting members of the track and cross country teams three times in order to comply.

Underhill said in part of his 95-page ruling this past Wednesday, July 21, that the school was in violation “by failing to provide equal athletic participation opportunities for women.” Competitive cheerleading “is still too underdeveloped and disorganized to be treated as offering genuine varsity athletic participation,” he added.

The founder of competitive cheer had agreed when asked about the lawsuit several weeks back, saying that the gymnastic- and dance-based moves were never intended to be counted as a sport, rather as an organized body. Because of the lawsuit and other restrictions at other schools, competitive cheerleading at many different levels is moving toward being brought under a new umbrella organization called National Competitive Stunts and Tumbling Association or NCSTA.

Jeff Webb, CEO of Varsity Spirit, a cheerleading organization, and the man who helped implement competitive cheerleading testified Tuesday, June 22 in federal court that ‘competitive cheerleading is as much a sport as chess’. He went on to add that cheer competitions were developed to give its athletes/gymnasts/ dancers exposure, not to serve as a springboard for a college sport.

It’s also noteworthy that large governing bodies such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the U.S. Department of Education have never recognized competitive cheerleading as a sport.

This newest suit, once again involving women’s volleyball, has raised the question of whether or not Title IX, which became law back in 1972, has outlived its use in making sure boys and girls, men and women are afforded the equal opportunity in sports.

I think not. And, this is a clear case why the law needs to remain on the books to keep everyone honest and in check, especially with schools at all levels facing budget cuts.

Advocates chirped and tweeted all over the Web and other electronic portals when the ruling was announced with many echoing the sentiment that the ruling continues to set the important precedent that will influence college decision-making across the board. No one skates by under the radar trying to cut corners when no one is watching.

“We understand that in these difficult economic times,... schools are looking for ways to tighten their budgets,... but this case sends a clear message that schools cannot cut costs on the backs of women,” said Neena Chaudhry, senior counsel for the National Women’s Law Center in Washington in a press statement.

Quinnipiac now has 90 days to reinstate its women’s volleyball program for its upcoming season and to submit a written plan on how it intends to comply with Title IX within 60 days.

Clearly not happy with the ruling, Quinnipiac issued the following: “We will continue to press for competitive cheer to become an officially recognized varsity sport in the future,” said Lynn Bushnell, vice president of public affairs. “Consistent with our long-standing plans to expand opportunities in women’s athletics, the university intends to add women’s rugby as a varsity sport beginning in the 2011-2012 academic year.”

And, for all those who may scoff, look it up. Women make up the fastest-growing segment of rugby players in the U.S. Usually called a gentleman’s game for ruffians, USA Rugby, the sport’s governing body, has seen a large increase in registered female players since 1999, logging 20,430 from 6,104.

Rugby returns to the 2016 Olympics for the first time since 1924, and there will be competition for both sexes in a seven-on-seven format. The NCAA gave women’s rugby emerging sport status in 2002, allowing Div. I programs to award as many as 12 scholarships.