Former WNBA star to chair Title IX review panel - Washington Update - Brief Article

Black Issues in Higher Education, August 1, 2002

The Bush administration has named a former African American basketball star and coach to head an ambitious review of issues affecting college athletics, including fairness and opportunity.

Former WNBA basketball star Cynthia Cooper will co-chair a 15-member panel created by Education Secretary Roderick Paige on the 30th anniversary of Title IX, a federal statute that promotes gender equity in education, including athletics.

Ted Leland, athletics director at Stanford University, will co-chair the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics, which will collect information from students, coaches and experts in preparation for a January 2003 report.

"Without a doubt, Title IX has opened the doors of opportunity for generations of women and girls to complete, to achieve and to pursue their American dreams," Paige said in announcing the creation of the panel.

One of Title IX's greatest contributions is in women's sports. According to the U.S. General Accounting Office, colleges have added nearly 3,800 new athletic programs for women since the statute was enacted in 1972.

However, Title IX has drawn criticism from those who claim that it undermines men's sports and has prompted some colleges to drop some male sports programs. This issue is among those that the new panel will address, department officials said.

The 15-member panel includes several college athletic directors as well as college coaches and former athletes. For more information, visit the Web site at <www.ed.gov>.