Victory?

Could this be the end of gender quotas in college athletics? If so, it's about time!!!

A civil rights commission report released yesterday suggests that using surveys is the way to go.

Read the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report here. Read an article from Inside Education here.

In a letter prefacing the report addressed to President Obama and Congressional leaders (each of whom are responsible for appointing four commissioners; most are Bush-era appointees), the commission chair Gerald A. Reynolds wrote that the survey was “the best method for attaining prong three compliance because it provides a reliable and rigorous method of ascertaining student interest in athletics.”

Melendez and Yaki countered that the survey "is far from rigorous and suffers from many substantive and methodological flaws," which they detailed in their rebuttal.

Heading off criticism about persistent gender disparities, the report suggests that "since female students are fully capable of expressing interest in athletics, or lack thereof, advocates for particular views on Title IX compliance should not devalue or dismiss their perspectives."

The commission also recommends that regulations be revised "to explicitly take into account the interest of both sexes rather than just the interest of the underrepresented sex." It adds: "This would help to restore Title IX to its original goal of providing equal opportunity for individuals of both sexes."

Expect plenty of howling from the "Don't bother us with the facts, this is how we feel!" crowd...