Reconsidering Determinants of Title IX Compliance: Introducing Admission Factors Disaggregated by Gender and Female Athletic Expenditures.

This study analyzes factors influencing Title IX compliance regarding the proportional representation of women in college athletics across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III during the academic years 2002–2003, 2012–2013, and 2022–2023. Using data from the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), it finds that a higher share of female applicants correlates with greater noncompliance, while institutions offering a male admission advantage tend to have lower proportionality gaps in athletics. The research highlights that adding women's sports teams and increasing female athletic funding are associated with improved compliance, whereas football sponsorship consistently relates to larger gaps. The study also critiques prior research for using female enrollment as an explanatory variable and introduces admission metrics and athletic expenditures as more actionable factors, emphasizing the role of private colleges' exemption from Title IX admissions regulations in shaping compliance strategies.