BOISE, Idaho, May 12. BOISE State University announced earlier this week a plan to achieve \u201cproportionality\u201d in gender equity in intercollegiate athletics over the next 15 years starting with the addition of women\u2019s swimming and diving this next academic year (2006-07). \u201cProportionality\u201d in gender equity means an institution provides participation opportunities for women and men that are substantially proportionate to their respective rates of enrollment as full-time undergraduate students. <\/p>\n
Bronco Director of Athletics Gene Bleymaier and the Boise State Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Committee (IAAC) developed a plan that will also bring about the addition of women\u2019s softball in the fall of 2008, women\u2019s lacrosse in the fall of 2012 and a sport yet to be determined for the fall of 2017. <\/p>\n
While Boise State has continued to increase its participation for women student-athletes the past 13 years with the addition of golf in 1993, soccer in 1998 and skiing in 2003 to comply with Title IX, there continues to be a need to expand women\u2019s sports opportunities to reach proportionality. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a historic announcement for Boise State University,\u201d Bleymaier said. \u201cTo have a plan that will achieve proportionality is exciting and underscores the University\u2019s commitment to gender equity. We have been working toward this goal for a long time.\u201d <\/p>\n
The IAAC considered several factors in determining which sports to add. They included participation and scholarship opportunities; athletic interests and abilities of women students at the University; opportunities for regional and\/or conference competition; facilities needed for practice and competition; and community support and involvement. <\/p>\n
Surveys of the Boise State female population administered in 1996, 2000 and 2005 indicated there was significant interest and ability in swimming and diving, and softball. The 2005 survey also showed a substantial increase in the interest of lacrosse. <\/p>\n
Swimming and diving was the IAAC\u2019s recommendation of the next sport to add. It has a high level of interest among women students at Boise State and strong support within the community. There are over 200 participants on the local YMCA swim teams, and over 375 local and regional high school student-athletes of which 60 percent are female.<\/p>\n
The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) sponsors a championship for women\u2019s swimming and diving. The competitive season for swimming and diving runs from October through March. Swimming and diving coaches will be hired as soon as possible. <\/p>\n
Like swimming and diving, softball was recommended due to its high level of interest from the female students at Boise State, and the strong base of support from the community. Softball is a spring sport offered at high schools throughout the southern Idaho region, with approximately 300 girls participating in the Boise, Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell school districts. <\/p>\n
Softball is also a championship sport in the WAC and several other regional conferences. The competitive season is from early February through early June. Softball coaches will be hired in the 2007-08 academic year. <\/p>\n
Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing team sports in the nation as demonstrated by the increased participation in the community and the existence of a successful women\u2019s lacrosse club at Boise State. Women\u2019s lacrosse is the largest club sport on the Bronco campus and is the fastest growing sport over the last five years in the NCAA. The same is true in the Treasure Valley where the number of female participants has been increasing at 30 percent a year, with 323 student-athletes competing this past season. <\/p>\n
The regular season for lacrosse is during the spring with the national championships held from mid to late May. The WAC does not currently sponsor women\u2019s lacrosse, but Boise State would be well situated to join the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) which has members from several western institutions. Coaches would be hired during the 2011-12 academic year. <\/p>\n
Boise State is looking at several sport options to add in 2017 and a decision on that sport will be made at a later date. <\/p>\n
Bleymaier also announced today the suspension of the sport of women\u2019s skiing, pending further review of the program. Swimming and diving will replace skiing immediately for the upcoming season. Current funds allocated to the ski program will be dedicated to the swimming and diving team. <\/p>\n
Suspension of the women\u2019s ski program, and the addition of the women\u2019s swimming and diving program keeps the total number of Boise State team sports at 18 — 10 women (basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, swimming and diving, soccer, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball) and eight men (basketball, cross country, football, golf, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and wrestling).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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