Last year Solomon Kandie, a senior on Tulane’s track team, ran the NCAA’s fastest time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, which earned him a trip to NCAA nationals.But next year, there will not be a chance for any men at the university to accomplish such a feat.Tulane will cancel men’s track and field at the end of the 2002 season. The decision was made in order to comply with the NCAA Title IX gender equity certification process. Green Wave Athletic Director Rick Dickson announced the move on March 13.”This is obviously a difficult decision,” Dickson said. “But… this is a necessary step.”Dickson cited the reason for the discontinuation of the sport as one part of a three-step equity plan that also includes the addition of a women’s sport to compete in the 2003-04 season. It has yet to be decided which sport that will be.The NCAA requires that a university’s athletic program must have a male-to-female ratio that is a direct representation of the students. According to its athletic department, Tulane is comprised of 51 percent women, but the athletic program is only 32.5 percent female student-athletes.This drastic gap has been a problem for Tulane since the university was first reviewed by the NCAA in 1994. At that time the school submitted an equity plan that included the addition of women’s soccer in 1996. However, other components of the plan were not carried out. This led to the uneven ratio.The athletic department chose to disband track and field because it comprises both indoor and outdoor. This means that the NCAA recognizes the same athletes twice — in this case, 30 male athletes instead of 15 on the roster. In 2002-03 the Green Wave will have the NCAA minimum six men’s sports and the required eight women’s teams. Tulane’s men’s cross country team — which won Conference USA in 2001 — will remain a fall sport for the Green Wave, along with all three of the women’s teams.

Title IXTitle IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law. It states that “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.”Despite being private schools, both Loyola and Tulane must abided by Title IX because they both receive federal financing through federal financial aid programs used by their students.Title IX also states that its intent is not to eliminate men’s sports — as this action would be violate the rule. However, since Title IX was implemented in 1972, it has seen the cancellation of more than 250 men’s college sports. There have been many small lawsuits against the NCAA over Title IX related issues. In February, however, the first major suit was filed by the National Wrestling Coaches Association in the U.S. district court in Washington, D.C.The suit, which is against the U.S. Department of Education, accuses the educational institutions to be at fault, and not Title IX. The NWCA has proposed that the male-to-female ratio should be based on student interest, rather than student body percentages.

Surprise, surprise“We basically found out through rumors,” said Ryan Gallagher, a sophomore on the Tulane track team. According to Gallagher the team was not officially told until the administration was pressured. “We started asking questions, and parents started to call,” said Gallagher. “We also heard that they weren’t even going to tell us until we went home for the summer, so we couldn’t protest.”Donna Turner, assistant athletic director for Tulane, said that the athletes were made aware of the situation as soon as was possible.”We have a process to follow,” Turner said. “It’s not a simple decision…. We do research and go through the process thoroughly… the athletes were the first to know.”With the final word coming to the team after the proposal had already been taken to the board of trustees and the president of the university, the team believes that the situation was not handled properly.”I’ve lost all respect for the administration,” Gallagher said. “It seems like reverse discrimination to me.”For Loyola’s track team, the decision brings just as much surprise.”It’s a waste of talent,” said Mike Gulotta, history sophomore. “It’s really unfair… We were pretty good friends with them, and now they’re being forced to leave what they’ve called home for the last year or so.”

Whom it hurtsDickson said that disbanding track and field affected the least number of people.”This is less severe due to the make-up of our current roster, with only four scholarship underclassmen,” Dickson said. “We will continue to honor our scholarship commitment to the returning four men on our track and field team, and we will do everything we can to assist those individuals who wish to transfer to pursue other opportunities.”For the three Swedish middle-distance runners who came to Tulane this year as freshman, finding another school will not be easy. The NCAA deadline for signing day is less than a month away.Tulane’s head track and field coach, Ron Bazil, will not be affected by the change.On March 11, he announced his retirement after 34 years as a college coach. During his time with the Green Wave, he led athletes to 64 individual and 12 relay championships.For Gallagher and some of his teammates from overseas, the decision now is whether or not to remain at Tulane.”[I’m] going to stay,” Gallagher said. “It looks like the Swedes are going to transfer.”The Swedish runners are pursuing enrollment at University of Arkansas, which had attempted to recruit them last year. The Razorback’s men’s track team finished four in the 2002 NCAA Indoor meet last month.If they choose to transfer, they will not be forced to sit a season out — as most transfer students are — because the insitution released them.On Saturday, Solomon Kandie, a senior on Tulane’s track team, won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the LSU Alumni Gold invitational, while freshman Phillip Aagaard, a native of Sweden, captured the 800-meter title. Kandie won the race by nearly a full minute.

The FutureThe men’s cross country team will compete as an NCAA Division I sport; however, it will need to run at least five athletes in order to be a team.If the Swedish runners choose to leave Tulane, the men’s team will be comprised of Gallagher, Adam Leskis, a junior, and Will Landry, a freshman.Despite the let-down, the three runners are determined to have a productive season in 2002.Leskis said that it will be difficult to find the remaining.”I guess we’ll find some walk-ons,” Leskis said. “A repeat conference title is out of the quesiton. It’ll be interesting.”