On Friday, 32 members of the University of Oregon’s women’s beach volleyball and rowing teams filed a class action lawsuit in federal court, accusing the university of depriving female athletes of equal treatment and benefits, according to their attorneys. The complaint alleges that the university provides significantly better resources and support to its male football team than to its female athletes. The lawsuit claims that the football team enjoys luxurious facilities, top-of-the-line equipment, chartered flights, and other amenities, while the beach volleyball team lacks basic facilities and financial aid. The suit also highlights that the women’s rowing team is not recognized as a varsity sport, despite the school’s duty to provide gender equity in athletic opportunities. The plaintiffs argue that the university’s funding allocation for women’s athletics is not proportional to their representation and violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
The complaint, spanning over 100 pages, details the stark contrast between the resources provided to the football team and the lack of support for the women’s beach volleyball and rowing teams. The University of Oregon’s football program boasts a $68 million performance center, complete with lavish facilities, high-end gear, and personalized amenities for players and coaches. In contrast, the beach volleyball team practices and competes in a public park with inadequate facilities and no financial aid. The rowing team is relegated to a club sport, even though the university needs to add more women’s teams to achieve gender parity in sports offerings.
The lawsuit argues that despite women comprising 49 percent of varsity athletes at Oregon, the school only allocates 25 percent of its athletic budget and 15 percent of its recruiting budget to women’s athletics. The beach volleyball team is the sole varsity program in the PAC-12 conference to receive no athletic financial aid from its institution. The plaintiffs state that the university has been aware of these gender equality issues for months but has failed to address them effectively.
Lori Bullock, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, emphasized that Title IX does not permit schools to justify gender imbalance based on revenue or expenses. While football may bring significant revenue to the university, Title IX mandates gender equity across all sports, regardless of their financial impact. Bullock argued that funding disparities persist because schools prioritize fundraising efforts for men’s sports over women’s.
The University of Oregon responded to the lawsuit, asserting its commitment to providing a positive experience for all student-athletes, including its female athletes. The university recognized that there is room for improvement and highlighted its previous commitments to increasing scholarships for beach volleyball and constructing a dedicated facility. However, the university’s compliance with Title IX remains a subject of contention.
The outcome of this lawsuit could have far-reaching implications, as it addresses gender equity in college athletics and highlights the need for equal treatment and support for female athletes. The plaintiffs aim to compel Oregon to rectify the disparities and provide women’s sports with the necessary resources and opportunities that align with the requirements of Title IX.
