February’s Rising Star Breakfast: The Changing Face of College Athletics

February 14th’s Rising Star Breakfast featured Walt Harrison, President, University of Hartford Pat Meiser, Director of Athletics, University of Hartford; Amy Huchthausen, Commissioner, America East Conference; and Cindy Brunsun, ESPN Anchor, Sports Center. The topic was titled “The Changing Face of College Athletics” but the discussion almost entirely was focused around Title IX, which guaranteed both genders the right to participate in any sport or activity funded with federal finances. It has been a recurring topic this year, as it is the 40th anniversary of the bill’s passage into law and everyone on the panel was an avid supporter of the law.

Pat Meiser began the discussion as she relayed her experiences with Title IX, dating back before the inception of the law in the 60s. She explained how she has seen women’s sports evolve from when she began her career as a female athlete in the 60s, to the 1970s when the first female scholarship was awarded to a girl who was both a potato farmer and a gifted athlete. She explained her troubles in the 1980s as a Senior Women’s Administrator and how even as recently as the 90s she was only the 11th female Athletic Director named for a major university in the country (today there is still only 28 total.)

Adding to these numbers, in 1992, 77 cents on every dollar went to men’s sports, while men only made up 70% of the nationwide participants. Today the numbers have changed as females make up 44% of the participants yet men are still getting more money. She added that hopefully by Title IX’s 50th anniversary these numbers and the athletic leadership will have a completely different look.

Amy Huchthausen has a different perspective on Title IX, as she has always lived in a world where the law was present. She even said that she was able to participate in “any sport we wanted almost.” Huchthausen was pleased that the level of competition in women’s sports has noticeably increased over the past 20 years. She did however have a gripe with the fact that very few females, and fewer minority females, had obtained positions similar to hers. She told the panel how she wishes to use her influence to help other women reach the same level as she has.  

To offer both a media and athletic perspective on Title IX, Cindy Brunson conveyed how she began her career playing women’s college basketball through a scholarship obtained because of Title IX. She unfortunately “blew out” her left knee and instead focused on her second passion which was becoming a sports anchor. Brunson pointed out that women’s basketball is exploding, with the NCAA helping to fuel the WNBA’s popularity. She believes it is up to media like ESPN to promote women’s sports and give them the attention that will help bring them to the public eye. She also explained the importance of promoting a greater variety of universities, giving them all fair access to the viewers that major colleges enjoy.

The panel also engaged in a round table discussion where Walt Harrison brought up some tough issues; like whether women’s sports inhibits opportunities for men, due to cut backs to compensate both. The panel all disagreed as Meiser explained that men still have far more opportunities than women today. They also discussed conference realignment or “conference chaos” as Brunson dubbed the term. Huchthausen believes that it’s up to people in her position to ensure that the athlete’s well being is considered first and foremost and conference realignment could inhibit just that. Making these players travel across the country to face opponents for better TV ratings hurts the athletes and Meiser added that soon we will see the athletes themselves demanding that it stops.