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Volleyball Reinstated at QU, Men's Track Eliminated

By Erin Buzuvis, Sudha Setty, and Kristine Newhall

After being temporarily enjoined from cutting the women's volleyball program, Quinnipiac University has decided to permanently reinstate the team. This move will likely result in a settlement of the Title IX lawsuit against the university, according to the volleyball team's lawyers from the ACLU of Connecticut.

However, ACLU is criticizing the decision to simultaneously cut the men's outdoor track team as a "false choice that unnecessarily pits men athletes against women athletes," since they had presented evidence that the athletic department could meet their budget targets without cutting any teams. Indoor track had already been eliminated, at the same time the volleyball cut was announced.

Quinnipiac has also announced plans to review for accuracy the participation figures that the athletic department reports to the Department of Education. This decision responds to the court's finding that some men's teams actually carried more players than were reported, while some women's teams were forced to carry "extra" players without the corresponding support and resources to provide them with genuine opportunities. Quinnipiac wisely chose an official from outside the athletic department (specifically, the VP of Academic Affairs) to lead this review effort.

Full post as published by Title IX Blog on May 27, 2009 (boomark / email).