A Policy Paradox

Abstract

In this dissertation, I critically examine the intersection of Title IX compliance in athletics and college admissions. In my first paper, I use descriptive statistics to show a pattern of noncompliance with Title IX at institutions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 2002 to 2022. By analyzing cross-sectional data from 2002, 2012, and 2022, I demonstrate that institutions with higher admission rates for men compared to women are more likely to achieve compliance with Title IX athletic regulations. This suggests that admission practices may serve as a strategic tool for meeting Title IX requirements, a perspective that has not been thoroughly examined in existing research on Title IX compliance. In my second paper, I extend these findings by analyzing panel data from NCAA institutions between 2003 and 2022. The results indicate that as the proportion of female applicants increase for an institution, the institution is more likely to be non-compliant with Title IX athletic regulations. This suggests that the composition of the applicant pool and the choices of prospective students influence institutional adherence with Title IX. I also find that an institution is more likely to achieve Title IX compliance when it increases its admission rate for men compared to women. This demonstrates that admission strategies can be leveraged to meet Title IX requirements, further strengthening the conclusions drawn in the first paper. In the third paper, I utilize the same panel data as in the second paper and apply a fixed effects model to identify predictors of the difference between male and female admission rates. My findings suggest that an institution is more inclined to provide an admission advantage to men as the proportion of female applicants increases, an association that is compounded as an institution becomes more selective in admissions. However, my analysis also suggests that as female enrollment increases, an institution is likely to reduce the advantage for men. This indicates a potential inflection point where an institution that becomes more selective can offer an admission advantage to men, possibly motivated to achieve Title IX compliance. Conversely, as an institution becomes less selective, it focuses on meeting enrollment goals and is less concerned with Title IX compliance, resulting in its enrollment mirroring the composition of its applicant pool, which for many schools is increasingly female dominated. By bringing together the results of these three papers, my dissertation offers valuable insights into the strategic decision-making processes within college admission offices. It appears that admission practices can be useful tools to achieving Title IX compliance by adjusting the admission rate of women compared to men, especially as the share of female applicants increase. These findings have important implications for both Title IX athletic compliance and sex-conscious admission practices.