Geno Auriemma Says Title IX Is Pretty Much Out the Window (Intermediate)
UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma said Thursday that Title IX is “pretty much out the window” in today’s college sports environment. Speaking before UConn’s Sweet 16 game against North Carolina, he argued that many NCAA rules no longer seem to matter in the same way they once did.
Title IX, passed in 1972, bans sex discrimination in education programs at schools that receive federal funding, including athletics. But college sports have changed sharply in recent years. Athletes were allowed to profit from name, image, and likeness deals starting in 2021, and schools later gained the ability to pay athletes directly.
Auriemma said he doubts women’s sports are receiving equal financial treatment when schools distribute new revenue-sharing money. He acknowledged that some schools still work hard to provide equal scholarship opportunities and roster chances, but he said the actual funding often does not suggest that women’s basketball is being valued the same as football or men’s basketball.
He added that future fairness may depend less on legal protection and more on the decisions of conference commissioners and athletic directors. Those leaders, he said, will determine whether women’s sports continue to be funded seriously.
Auriemma also spoke about tournament structure. He repeated that he dislikes two-site regionals and questioned whether the women’s tournament should feel pressure to move early rounds to neutral sites. He also said he understood Syracuse coach Felisha Legette-Jack’s frustration about repeatedly landing in UConn’s subregional.
His comments highlight a larger concern: as more money enters college athletics, women’s sports may have to fight harder to protect fairness and visibility.
Vocabulary Words List
- coach — the person who leads and trains a team
- protections — things that help keep people safe or treated fairly
- practice — the way something works in real life
- college — a school for higher education
- athletics — sports activities and competition
- law — an official rule made by the government
- federal — connected to the national government
- funding — money used to support something
- discrimination — unfair treatment of people
- opportunities — chances to do something
- equal — the same in amount or value
- scholarship — money given to help pay for school
- revenue — money that comes in
- commissioners — leaders of sports conferences
- athletic directors — school officials who manage sports programs
- tournament — a competition with many teams
- regional — a part of a larger tournament
- neutral — not belonging to either side
- bracket — the chart that shows tournament matchups
- frustration — the feeling of being upset or annoyed
- section — one part of a larger whole
- comment — something a person says publicly
- reflect — to show or represent
- worries — concerns about possible problems
- programs — organized sports teams or departments
- landmark — very important and historic
- landscape — the overall situation or environment
- directly — in a clear or immediate way
- visibility — how much something is seen or noticed
- fairness — the quality of being just and equal
Fill In The Blanks Listening Practice
UConn women’s basketball Geno Auriemma said Thursday that Title IX is “pretty much out the window” in today’s sports environment. Speaking before UConn’s Sweet 16 game against North Carolina, he argued that many NCAA rules no longer seem to matter in the same way they once did.
Title IX, passed in 1972, bans sex in education at schools that receive , including . But sports have changed sharply in recent years. Athletes were allowed to profit from name, image, and likeness deals starting in 2021, and schools later gained the ability to pay athletes .
Auriemma said he doubts women’s sports are receiving financial treatment when schools distribute new -sharing money. He acknowledged that some schools still work hard to provide and roster chances, but he said the actual often does not suggest that women’s basketball is being valued the same as football or men’s basketball.
He added that future may depend less on legal protection and more on the decisions of conference and . Those leaders, he said, will determine whether women’s sports continue to be funded seriously.
Auriemma also spoke about structure. He repeated that he dislikes two-site regionals and questioned whether the women’s should feel pressure to move early rounds to sites. He also said he understood Syracuse Felisha Legette-Jack’s about repeatedly landing in UConn’s subregional.
His comments highlight a larger concern: as more money enters , women’s sports may have to fight harder to protect and .
Vocabulary Retention Quiz
- What did Auriemma say about Title IX in modern college sports?
- How has college athletics changed since 2021?
- Why did Auriemma question whether women’s sports are being treated equally?
- Who did he say may now have to protect fairness in women’s sports?
- What other tournament issue did Auriemma criticize?
Discussion Questions
- Do you think laws alone are enough to protect fairness in sports? Why or why not?
- How should schools divide money between men’s and women’s sports?
- What makes a sports tournament feel fair to teams and fans?
- Why do you think visibility matters for women’s sports?
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