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University of North Florida cuts swimming and diving

By Erin Buzuvis, Sudha Setty, and Kristine Newhall

The University of North Florida in Jacksonville, citing financial constraints, conference affiliation, and facilities, announced earlier this week that it will cut its women's swimming and diving team. There was no mention of any plans to add a different women's sport. Right now UNF meets the proportionality prong but cutting the swim team puts it in dangerous territory. Based on numbers from the 2008-2009 season cutting women's swimming places the percentage of opportunities afforded to women at just below 50 percent. Female students comprise (again as of 2008-09) 57 percent of the undergraduate population.
If UNF does not have plans to add a women's team, and the current numbers are similar to last year's, members of the swim team may have a case that the university is not providing equitable opportunities for female student-athletes.

Full post as published by Title IX Blog on March 24, 2010 (boomark / email).