Title IX

Champion of diversity and academic reform: NCAA President Myles Brand dies at 67

Myles Brand, the first university president to head the NCAA and a champion of academic reform died Wednesday after battling pancreatic cancer this past year. Brand, a former Indiana University President, championed academic reform, fiscal responsibility and student-athlete well-being during his tenure. He served as NCAA president since January 2003. He was 67.

He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2008 and announced his condition to the NCAA Executive Committee, the national office staff and the leadership at NCAA member schools in January, saying the long-term prognosis for his condition was "not good."

Brand built his presidency on academic reform and advocacy of intercollegiate athletics.

“Myles Brand’s appointment as president of the NCAA represented a new chapter for the organization,” said Graham Spanier, president of Pennsylvania State University, “coming…

Celebrating Title IX

Today marks the 37th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark federal legislation prohibiting gender discrimination in high school and intercollegiate athletics.

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

Although commonly referred to as Title IX, the formal name of the law was originally Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. It is now formally known as the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act in honor of its principal author.

Title IX was enacted June 23, 1972 yet in the 37 years since its creation women are still fighting for equal access in athletics on all levels.

“While great strides have been made, Title IX’s work is not done, especially at the high school level, where…