The Ithacan

Accuracy • Independence • Integrity

Amid the backlash surrounding the Division I basketball tournaments weeks ago, the NCAA was fighting another battle in the Supreme Court regarding athletes receiving benefits and compensation.

In a time when social justice has become inextricable from sports and when more people are coming out as LGBTQ+ than ever before, the NCAA must protect the athletes who it claims to support.

The inequities between the men’s and women’s sports in the NCAA run deep, and the unique circumstances of the pandemic are only exacerbating the problems.

Trans women are women. Trans girls are girls. These are not facts that are up for debate. Bigots have found a new avenue to oppress transgender people, particularly trans girls, through sports. 

The NFL has long had a domestic violence problem… it still fails to hold players accountable, especially when those players are talented.

We need to talk about the deeply absurd double standards in American society for women who break down barriers, especially in sports.

Athletes are constantly told that they are examples and role models for the communities around them, and that is never more true than in cases of athlete activism.

COVID-19 is not an excuse for Title IX compliance to be pushed aside. IC needs to prioritize equity for its women athletes when making these decisions.

Mental health has always been a major concern for college athletics, and those issues are only being exacerbated by the isolation and decrease in physical activity that athletes are facing.