If Title IX is equal access for women, why does the NCAA require two more women’s sports than men’s? Equal access means equal.
There's a lot of legalese & scenarios, but the goal of Title IX was to ensure that women had access to the same funding that men do. IOW, the goal of Title IX is to ensure that schools don't spend all their $$$ on FB & MBB...
As I understand it (and I'm not a lawyer), MT could add a men's scholarship hockey team, spend more money on men's sports than women's AS LONG AS there wasn't interest in women's hockey team (or comparable sport).
This is one reason schools transitioning from FCS to FBS will either drop a men's sport or add a corresponding women's sport to ensure they remain Title IX compliant. Technically (if my understanding is correct), they don't have to, but USUALLY there is enough interest in a corresponding female sport they HAVE to add it.
So, let's just run with a scenario for a second. Let's say the Predators, City, County, and MT partner to turn the Livestock Center into another Ford Ice Center for MT, schools, and residents to use.
Scenario 1 : MT makes the decision to add varsity ice hockey (18 scholarships). MT makes the corresponding decision to add beach volleyball (6 scholarships) & gymnastics (12 scholarships) to remain Title IX compliant.
Scenario 2 : MT makes the decision to add varsity ice hockey (18 scholarships), but discovers there isn't interest in another varsity women's sport. MT would be okay NOT to add another women sports.
Again, I'm not a lawyer, but this is my understanding based on conversations with folks with knowledge of Title IX