Sorry if someone has posted on this already. What is the chance that triathlon will become a full sport in NCAA div 1-3? How does a sport become accepted by the colleges? I’m from Canada so have no idea, but am interested how it works
http://www.xtri.com/features/detail/284-itemId.511716601.html
In the US, the NCAA is the governing body for the college sports. The NCAA (made up of the some 360 odd D1,D2,D3 colleges) will be voting on ncaa status on Jan. 15th. It needs 10 schools to say yes to make it an “emerging sport”, which then I think has 5-6 years to get the sport up to I think 50 schools. It’s 98% certain to pass the vote (it’s one of those things where it comes to a vote for a reason…if they vote it down, it’ll never come back up), as currently 12 have provisional said “yes” to taking on the scholarship requirements.
It will likely stay women’s on because of the title9 issues, BUT it would be huge for the development of our olympic pipeline and I’ve said this is the only ticket to getting the sport accepted on a regular TV bases (I’ve stated it’s around 10 years before we see a ITU “series” in the US in like a 10 week, 6 city tour).
Canwi - nice of you to bring up this subject. This is my general understanding.
In 1972 the US enacted Title IX (title nine). While it wasn’t directed at sports it did turn out a major effect on the opportunities that women have to participate in sports especially at the high school and college level. The NCAA has had a lot of money directed at a limited number of sports and mostly for men: football, basketball, baseball, running, swimming, waterpolo and more. When the NCAA adds a new sport it’s very often added for women so that it can balance out the enormous heaps of cash given to men’s sports (especially football, basketball).
The NCAA will have a conference next month (January 2014) in San Diego where all Division I, II and III schools will vote on weather or not triathlon will become an NCAA sport for women. Men are not included for consideration now nor should we expect them to be ever usless something drastic changes within the US’s public’s enthusiasm for triathlon.
There is a petition that anyone and everyone is welcome to sign in order to show our support for women’s inclusion. https://www.change.org/...ging-sport-for-women it only takes a second and you can do it even if you live outside the US.
Ian
PS. there’s a nice video on the site with an interview with Michele Mehnert (Collegiate National Champ, Colorado University)
thanks guys………interesting……