Has Title IX's quest for equality gone too far? Title IX was designed to ensure equal opportunities for girls in school sports, but some say it has unintentionally hurt boys' teams.

• Position: Opinion - Column

YES The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) embraces the original spirit and intent of Title IX, a federal law passed in 1972 that prohibits gender-based discrimination in all programs in schools that receive federal funds. While women have enjoyed significant gains, the unintended consequences of Title IX have contributed to the elimination of more than 800 men's teams in the past two decades.

That's why we believe Title IX has gone too far, and why, in January 2002, the NWCA filed a lawsuit challenging it. The interpretation of Title IX requires that universities comply with a very strict quota system that is commonly referred to as "proportionality." For example, if 50 percent of the full-time students on a college campus are women, then 50 percent of the student-athletes on that campus must be women. Using this hypothetical situation, if there are 40 available roster spots each for softball and baseball, but only 20 girls try out for the softball team and 40 boys go out for the baseball team, the school would be forced to eliminate 20 male baseball players in order to maintain gender equality.

In some instances, the gender imbalance is too great to meet the proportionality standard by simply trimming spots from various men's teams, so schools are forced to eliminate entire teams. For example, at Marquette University, in Wisconsin, the intercollegiate wrestling program, which had been entirely self-funded for six years by private donations, was eliminated in 2001 because the school could not meet the proportionality standard.

Just imagine if all extracurricular programs--such as dance, theater, band, cheerleading, and debate--were held to this same proportionality standard. Why should sports programs be singled out and treated differently?

We applaud the creation of athletic opportunities for women. But all our best and brightest student-athletes deserve a fairer interpretation of Title IX--one that protects women without harming men.

MIKE MOYER Executive Director, National Wrestling Coaches Association NO Since Title IX was passed 31 years ago, women have made great strides in terms of athletic opportunities. In the early 1970s, one in 27 girls was involved with sports; now, two out of every...