At Delaware, the Culprit Was Title IX

Somebody didn’t get the memo from NCAA President Myles Brand on cuts in men’s athletic programs and Title IX — and his name is University of Delaware Athletic Director Edgar Johnson. Last night, we reported that Delaware announced that as part of its long-term strategic plan for athletics, that the school would drop men’s indoor track and add women’s golf in order to promote compliance with Title IX.

Earlier today, Johnson reiterated that point:

As for dropping indoor track and adding women’s golf, “It was never a money issue,” Johnson said. “It was a Title IX issue.

“We have 100 more athletes than most of our peer institutions in the CAA. You look at a school like [James Madison]. They have six men’s programs. I was just on the phone with the Ohio University athletic director and I was looking for his phone number. I clicked online and I saw they have six men’s varsity sports and I thought to myself, ‘Is that the wave of the future?’

“Our history and tradition have always been broad-based participation, but it’s not as sustainable as it used to be.”