Editor's Note: This is the second in a series on the Ohio Athletic Department's compliance with Title IX.
Many of Ohio University's women's programs are not performing on a level playing field with their male counterparts, according to a 2008 Athletics Certification Committee Analysis Report.
The report noted inequities between facilities, from the Ohio Softball Field to Pruitt Field, used by men and women in OU athletics.
In 2006, the athletic department committed to obtaining better equity between men's and women's sports, making everything from travel expenses to coaching allowances more equitable.
One prong to obtaining that equity is in the facilities where athletes perform. Institutions must provide equitable facilities to men and women playing similar sports. In sports such as soccer, where there is not a comparable counterpart, the institution must show they are committed to those sports.
When you look at facilities that right word is equitable
it's not equal in compliance instance Athletic Director Jim Schaus said. I think it's more about the standards that you have for those given areas (that don't have a male sport) whether it's the competition field or the bleachers or some of those areas that they have an equitable approach to them.
The report specifically criticized the disparity between the Ohio Softball Field and Bob Wren Stadium.
The certification committee looking at the softball field recommended that OU install field lighting, contract an architect for facility design and renovate the existing stadium to include restrooms, a concession facility, a press box and permanent seating.
Bob Wren Stadium has all of those, which creates a clear discrepancy. Ohio Softball Stadium has two sets of bleachers, but neither is considered permanent, as they are not cemented into the ground.
The report also noted that the grass and dirt of the softball field should be enhanced to make it more comparable to Bob Wren's Trautwein Field.
The athletic department revised its Gender Equity Plan to fix these problems in August 2008, according to a Peer-Team Review Report in 2008. Jason Corriher, athletic department spokesman, said the department had not developed a concrete timeline to complete the renovations before August 2008.
The new plan calls for lights to be installed in the fall of 2010. The stadium will be renovated from summer 2012 through winter 2013.
But the department has been making promises to become gender equitable for at least 14 years. In 1995, it promised to enhance the women's facilities and become Title IX compliant by 2000, according to the 1998 NCAA recertification report.
Now, 14 years after making that pledge, the athletic department has still not reached that goal.
If you plan the work you have to work the plan
Schaus said. We're right on schedule. We want to do all those things.
We fully expect to work towards that.
But equity between baseball and softball stadiums is just the beginning of the renovations Ohio Athletics will have to complete to become Title IX compliant.
Chessa Field
the women's soccer facility
has no lights
concessions or spectator restrooms. Temporary concessions were added in 2008
according to the Gender Equity Plan. The department plans to add lights in 2014 and add concessions and restrooms by 2015.
Goldsberry Track and Pruitt Field
where the field hockey team plays and practices
also need concessions and restrooms
which are slated to be finished by 2013-14.
The women's swimming and diving locker room need to be improved and expanded.
Schaus did say that the department recently installed new flooring in the swimming and diving locker room.
(We) took out bottoms of those lockers and replaced them with plastic bottoms, Schaus said. There were rust and other issues. I think long term that's on the list that we want to renovate.
The NCAA recertification committee also noted that some women's programs share showers and restrooms
