I have written this idea to Swimming World and USA Swimmer and now I want to share it with my Forum Friends to see if I can garner any support. I just read the report in the ASCA magazine on how the implementation of Title IX has hurt men's swimming. As a supporter of womens sports I think Title IX has done much more good than harm. As a fan of college swimming I think the NCAA has done more harm than good. I was searching for a solution that would get swimming out of being at the mercy of the NCAA.The solution seems to be to start a scholarship fund for swimmers to be administered by USA Swimming. Criteria would be set up,both athletic and academic,for deserving swimmers to earn college scholarships to the college of their choice. The swimmer would be free to swim for the college if they had a team if desired or for the appropriate club if they don't. If they earn a swimming scholarship from the college the extra funds could be recycled back into the program.In the interest of fairness the scholarships would go to an equal number of men and women. This program would not be a way to get around Title IX but to get around the NCAA. Yes,it would take a massive fund raising effort,but I think most swimmers,parents,Masters,and corporate sponsors would be interested in donating(I would.) It would give swimming great publicity and would be a great recruiting tool. What do Y'all think?
Redbird,
It is more complicated than the number of teams. You have to look at scholarship opportunities, the relative proportion of men and women. Sometimes they look at demand and sometimes they look at numbers of students.
The only way to solve both problems is to get football out of the equation from both the scholarship and power/ego perspective. One way to do that is the tax deduction scheme I suggested.
Leo
Redbird,
It is more complicated than the number of teams. You have to look at scholarship opportunities, the relative proportion of men and women. Sometimes they look at demand and sometimes they look at numbers of students.
The only way to solve both problems is to get football out of the equation from both the scholarship and power/ego perspective. One way to do that is the tax deduction scheme I suggested.
Leo
