Quinnipiac University’s athletic program appeared to be riding high in recent years. In January 2007, the $52 million TD BankNorth Center opened, providing a state-of-the-art facility and key recruiting tool for its basketball and hockey programs. A few months later, Quinnipiac hired former UConn assistant Tom Moore to coach its men’s basketball team. Moore used his Huskies ties to promote the program and appeal to a growing fan base. This year, following a successful hockey campaign in which Brian Leitch became the first Quinnipiac player to lead the nation in scoring, the Bobcats had two players, David Marshall and Dan Henningson sign professional contracts.
In March however, Moore was implicated in the allegations of recruiting violations at UConn, which are currently under investigation by the NCAA. Last week, Quinnipiac was sued under Title IX in connection with its decision to eliminate the women’s volleyball program. Clearly these events do not promote Quinnipiac athletics in the manner that the university has intended.
Earlier this week, Connecticut Sports Law set forth the the test for Title IX compliance. Now, let’s take a closer look at a few of the more interesting allegations:
- The plaintiffs allege that Quinnipiac cannot eliminate male athletic opportunities to comply with Title IX without falling below the number of spots required for membership in NCAA Division I
- The plaintiffs allege that Quinnipiac has never met its compliance obligations
- The plaintiffs allege that, in 2006, Quinnipiac considered eliminating volleyball, however a self-evaluation revealed that it could not eliminate a women’s sport without violating Title IX
At this point Quinnipiac is dealing with mere allegations, which have not been substantiated and should not be considered facts. Further, the university has not had the opportunity to respond to the plaintiff’s allegations. Considering the success and investment in Quinnipiac athletics over the past few years, expect the university to provide a strong response and defense to these claims. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that the timing is unfortunate.
[…] rosters for reporting purposes. This lawsuit has been, and may continue to be, a source of negative attention for Quinnipiac. The university should use the injunction and reinstatement of the volleyball team as an […]