Title IX Restrictions: Womens Sports Remain as Strong as Ever

Title IX was implemented in 1972 as a way to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex from being “denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”¹ This implementation was a way of using the 14th Amendment to protect the rights of the public, specifically the younger generations, from being excluded from federally funded programs, and specifically, athletics.²

Focusing on athletic programs, one group has massively benefited from the implementation of Title IX: women. Women were invited to the stage of athletics on all levels of amateur sports ultimately paving the way for professional leagues.

Title IX recently has been restricted under President Trump’s administration.³ With or without Title IX, women’s sports have grown exponentially over the last decade. A quick glance at 2024 shows the exponential growth in women’s sports. In 2024 the NCAA Women’s Basketball championship game had 18.9 million viewers, making it the most watched women’s college basketball game ever.⁴ In addition to being the most-watched women’s college basketball game, it was also the most-viewed college basketball game on record and the best basketball game for professional or amateur sports since 2017.⁵ Not only has women’s basketball made a name for itself in 2024, but so has the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). The PWHL took over the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) in 2023 and had its inaugural season in 2024.⁶ The first game was viewed by over 2.9 million viewers, a stark contrast to the NWHL Isobel Cup finals which averaged 100,000 viewers.⁷ The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) had an increase of 18% in viewership since 2023 and broke several records for viewership as well.⁸

Title IX has given women’s sports the stage to shine alongside men’s athletics. In addition to increased social interest in women’s sports, Title IX has also given women the ability to start in athletics young and continue with athletics as a core part of their education and careers. The year Title IX was implemented in 1972 there were only 300,000 girls and women participating in sports in their educational careers.⁹ In 2025, there are now 3.4 million participation opportunities for girls in high school alone.¹⁰ While this is an impressive increase from 1972, this number is still short of the same opportunities boys received in high school; in 1972, boys received 3.6 million participation opportunities during their time at high school.¹¹

After over fifty years of Title IX, it is clear that the interest in women’s sports has always existed. With a little bit of time and support, women’s sports continue to grow as an impressive market for amateur and professional athletics, as well as a space for young girls to reap the benefits of having opportunities to participate in sports. This space gives girls opportunities such as financial scholarships and abilities to learn important skills such as leadership, teamwork, and goal setting.¹² With or without Title IX, women’s sports remain as strong as ever with no signs of stopping.

1. https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/educational-activities/14th-amendment-and-evolution-title-ix ↩︎
2. Id. ↩︎
3. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/31/2025-02097/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity and https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/28/2025-01901/initial-rescissions-of-harmful-executive-orders-and-actions ↩︎
4. https://espnpressroom.com/us/press-releases/2024/04/espn-platforms-deliver-unprecedented-viewership-success-during-ncaa-division-i-womens-basketball-season/ ↩︎
5. Id. ↩︎
6. https://female-athlete-news.com/the-professional-womens-hockey-league-makes-history-sets-attendance-records/ ↩︎
7. Id. ↩︎
8. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lindseyedarvin/2024/12/18/womens-sports-2024-review-from-the-caitlin-clark-effect-to-a-new-industry-benchmark/ ↩︎
9. https://www.history.com/news/title-nine-womens-sports ↩︎
10. https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/press_release/as-title-ix-turns-50-research-shows-girls-have-yet-to-receive-same-number-of-athletic-opportunities-as-boys-did-in-1972/ ↩︎
11. Id. ↩︎
12. https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/press_release/as-title-ix-turns-50-research-shows-girls-have-yet-to-receive-same-number-of-athletic-opportunities-as-boys-did-in-1972/ ↩︎

image credits: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/sports-athletes/a62738480/2024-year-of-womens-sports-female-athletes-analysis/