Editorial: Football hurts men’s sports, not

Published 9:00 am Friday, April 2, 2010

A debate last week in Nashville, Tenn., sparked discussion on whether Title IX legislation is being used to discriminate against men.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The solution is right in front of the eyes of every athletic director. It just is a solution the college sports world won’t agree to take.

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The solution: Reduce scholarships for college football players from 85 to 50. Pro football teams staff about 50 players. College teams do not need bloated rosters.

But because they have them, other men’s sports suffer.

Surely if the NFL can sustain high TV ratings with 50-man rosters, so can college teams. The money will still come rolling in.

To do this, it will require true leadership at the head of the NCAA, which determines standards for Division I football. Without that, other men’s college sports will continue to feel the squeeze — not because of the women’s sports but because of football.