Understanding institutional investment in women’s collegiate athletic programs

Jacobs, Angela Carpenter

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127212 Copy

Description

Title

Understanding institutional investment in women’s collegiate athletic programs

Author(s)

Jacobs, Angela Carpenter

Issue Date

2024-11-22

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Hinze-Pifer, Rebecca

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Hinze-Pifer, Rebecca

Committee Member(s)

• Delaney, Jennifer A
• Baber, Lorenzo
• Kearney, Tyler

Department of Study

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• college athletics funding
• Title IX
• women’s collegiate athletics
• gender equity
• feminist theory

Abstract

This study explores factors with potential implications on institutional-level spending on women’s collegiate athletics. It looks at the history of women in higher education, Title IX and its impacts, and the evolution of women and sport post-Title IX. For generations, women have fought for equitable opportunities and treatment, including equal access to sport. Feminist theory elucidates the motivations behind these efforts and is employed as a foundation upon which to view historic and modern-day disparities in the support and financial backing of men’s versus women’s collegiate athletics. Publicly available data from a variety of higher education and collegiate athletics sources are used. This study employs a fixed effects panel regression to assess financial and non-financial factors that may relate to an institution’s relative investment in its female athletes. Regression results indicate female representation in certain leadership positions and a proportional increase in institutional gifts received are positively correlated with gender funding equity at the institution-level and sport-level, respectively. Proportional increases in institutional subsidies and student fees have a positive relationship with program-level spend on women’s basketball players. Proportional spend on facilities and equipment is negatively correlated with gender funding equity at the sport-level as is, surprisingly, the sex of the women’s basketball coach. Findings suggest that 50 years post-Title IX, women are allowed equal participation in college athletics but athletic department spend by athlete sex remains inequitable.

Graduation Semester

2024-12

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127212

Copyright and License Information

Copywrite 2024 Angela Carpenter Jacobs

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