Decoding Title IX Doubletalk at Delaware

As we noted last week, while we were cheered that most of the track and field program at the University of Delaware was spared the axewhen the school announced its new long-term plan for athletics, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that the cuts were kept to men’s indoor track thanks to the imposition of roster caps on the rest of the men’s athletic program.

So while most of the men’s track team will survive, it will come at the cost of limiting opportunities for other male athletes — and that’s something that didn’t survive the notice of Bob Button at Texas Swimming, who put together this amusing version of point/counterpoint to mock the school’s overall plan:

Plan: Align number of varsity sports with peer institutions.

Translation: If other schools have mis-managed their athletic departments, it’s a great excuse for us to follow their lead and drop a sport or two.

Plan: Adhere to roster management numbers.

Translation: Women’s rosters will include any female who ever indicated an interest in the sport. Men’s rosters will exclude most males who would gladly walk on and pay their own way.

Plan: Establish fundraising goals for all varsity sports. Progressively increase fundraising results.

Translation: Swimming had better get a copy of Arizona’s donor list.

One last question that Bob asks, among many: why didn’t the school, like Western Illinois University, use an interest survey instead of quotas to prove compliance?

Why indeed?