Take a stroll through the history of Title IX.
Compile by Haley Noble, Photo by W.K. Leffler, retrieved from the Library of Congress
June 23, 1972
Title IX of the Civil Rights Act is signed into law by President Richard Nixon.
1972
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) has its first full academic year of operation.
1975
Donna Lopiano becomes the first director of Women’s Athletics at the UT Austin, and shortly after, she publicly opposes a proposed amendment to Title IX that certain sports, like football, would be exempt from Title IX regulations.
1979
As a result of Title IX, ESPN begins broadcasting intercollegiate women basketball.
1980
AIAW’s dismantling begins and is replaced by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). The women’s athletic department at UT disagrees with the dismantle, with concern that the NCAA cared more about profiting from student athletes than the athletes themselves.
1988
Title IX application is made mandatory for any school that receives federal funding.
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Pres. Richard Nixon, Title IX
1992
Seven female athletes sue the UT Austin for failure to comply with Title IX. Jody Conradt, executive director of the Women’s Sports Foundation, made progress in settling the lawsuits by adding three more sports teams for women: softball, soccer and rowing.
1993
Jody Conradt becomes the athletic director of Women’s Athletics at UT. In May, UT settles all lawsuits previously filed for issues related to Title IX.
1999
UT is ranked as one of the top three colleges for women’s athletics by Sports Illustrated.
2020
Amendments to Title IX take effect,
mostly concerning sexual harassment.
2023
As of the writing of this timeline, Gov. Greg Abbot signed House Bill 25, which states that K-12 students who participate in interscholastic competition can only play on teams in accordance with the sex listed on their official birth certificate, and Senate Bill 15, which expands that restriction to collegiate sports. These laws directly challenge President Joe Biden’s interpretation of Title IX, prohibiting schools from following Biden’s interpretation.
