1991: NCAA surveys its member institutions' expenditures for women's and men's athletics programs. Study results show undergraduate enrollment is about even (50/50), but male students constitute about 70 percent of the participants in intercollegiate athletics, their programs receive about 70 percent of athletics scholarship funds, 77 percent of operating budgets and 83 percent of recruiting funds.
1992: In response to the 1991 survey results, the NCAA Gender-Equity Task Force is established.
1993: The final report of the Gender-Equity Task Force is published. The Task Force recommends institutional standards and NCAA regulations to help achieve gender equity. Nine "emerging"sports (five team and four individual sports) are identified.
1994: The NCAA principle of gender equity is adopted at the NCAA Convention to create greater participation opportunities.
1994-95: Financial aid legislation and minimum contests and participants required for sports sponsorships applicable to emerging sports programs become effective.
1995-96: Amateurism legislation, seasons of competition legislation and awards and benefits legislation applicable to emerging sports programs become effective.
1996: A National Collegiate Championship for women's rowing is adopted at the NCAA Convention. Legislation to establish championships in emerging sports may be proposed during the second year in which 40 or more institutions sponsor the sport for two consecutive academic years. Financial aid legislation and minimum contest and participant requirements for some women's sports are revised for some emerging sports.
1996-97: Coaching limits and playing and practice legislation for emerging sports become effective. Institutions that sponsor an emerging sport must be in full compliance with all remaining NCAA legislation. [NOTE: Per NCAA Bylaw 14.01.6.2, the initial-, continuing- and general-eligibility legislation is only effective for student-athletes first entering the collegiate institution on or after August 1, 1996.]
1997: In April, the Council voted, effective August 1, 1997, to remove women's rowing from the list of emerging sports, inasmuch as the Association now sponsors a national collegiate championship in that sport.
1998: Divisions I, II and III adopted noncontroversial legislation to identify equestiran as an emerging sport for women. However, the Division III Management Council decided to rescind equestrian as an emerging sport for women.
2000: The Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet asked the NCAA membership services staff to produce and distribute a survey to institutions asking for information on proposed rules and regulations for equestrian. The survey will be completed and data submitted to the Cabinet in April.
The contact for this page is kmorrison@ncaa.org
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