Wimbledon will finish this weekend and what better way to kick off your celebration than with the legendary Billie Jean King. I had the opportunity to sit down with King for an exclusive interview at last year's Convention where she won the NCAA's Gerald R. Ford Award.

She was vibrant, funny and very sassy, pulling lipstick from her trouser sock to reapply before the cameras started rolling. And, for all you American Wimbledon fans out there, you should know that BJK says it's pronounced WimbleDON, not WimbleTon (as we Americans are so often accustomed to pronouncing it).

The move to elevate cheerleading to a varsity sport in intercollegiate athletics has stirred up controversy from across the country for years and has been brought to the forefront yet again with a lawsuit against Quinnipiac University. Some say schools are choosing to give cheerleading varsity status in order to comply with Title IX requirements and many are skeptical the activity merits the elevated status.

The debate revolves around a central disagreement: can cheerleading truly be defined as a sport?

The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) is responsible for reviewing emerging sports, and refers to a sport as "an institutional activity involving physical exertion with the purpose of competition versus another team or individuals within a collegiate competition structure. Furthermore, sport includes regularly scheduled team and/or individual, head-to-head competition (at least five) within a defined competitive season(s); and standardized rules with rating/scoring systems ratified by official regulatory agencies and governing bodies."

The traditional image of a cheerleading squad is the group of young women on the sidelines of a sporting event--traditionally a male sporting event--supporting the athletes that are competing and its "spirit squad" roots continue to define the female-dominated activity.

While at the college level schools have begun to differentiate between a "cheer squad" and a "spirit squad," at the youth level the two terms tend to be synonymous. In this context, that cheerleading is an activity taken on to do no more than support your local team as vocal booster, what would keep similar spirit groups from demanding varsity status?

School bands hold practices and often travel for inter-band competition. As do color guard teams. Can a mascot or trumpet player be considered an athlete?

I present the most elementary and literal argument: the verb form of cheerleading. When asking a cheerleader what sport they play, their response would have to be, "I cheer." Can "cheering" be a competitive sport? Ask a swimmer the same question, "I swim." Much more obvious.

But if intercollegiate athletics, and specifically Title IX, is meant to expand athletic opportunities to females, why dismiss the sport that young women are interested in? Research proves that young females are choosing cheerleading.

According to the annual participation survey of the National Federation of State High School Associations, competitive cheering is one of the top 10 girls' sports in this country. In 2002-03, 4,644 schools reported having competitive cheering squads, with 111,191 participants. It ranks 10th in terms of number of schools participating, and ninth in terms of the number of participants.

At the University of Maryland, College Park, an institution that granted cheerleading varsity status in 2005-06, the cheerleading squad is granted scholarships and athletic department support services while being held to the academic policies of the NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

According to the athletics Web site, the Terrapins' squad competed in nine organized tournaments this year, winning all but the National Cheerleaders Association Nationals, at which they earned second. They boast a roster of 36 athletes and four coaches, all of which are female.

The men's cross country team at Maryland only competed in eight races, one less than the competitive cheering squad.

Are we holding these women to unfair guidelines? Do you think that cheerleading should be considered a varsity sport?

Is there a place for cheering in competitive intercollegiate athletics? Do you think that a young girl participating in cheerleading will reap the same fitness, social and emotional benefits as a girl participating in more traditional sports?

Why support cheerleading financially when most of the Olympic sports are becoming extinct in intercollegiate athletics? Wouldn't we rather produce Olympians at the collegiate level?

Does fighting solve anything? Nope. I learned that lesson long ago.

Fighting is ridiculous at any level, but it's particularly pathetic when it involves parents and sports.

A couple weeks ago a New Jersey youth baseball coach (in a police sponsored league) was arrested and charged with aggravated assault for head-butting a rival coach after a game.

According to the Star Ledger, the alleged attack took place during the traditional, post-game hand-shakes between the teams, a symbolic expression that connotes good will and sportsmanship. (Obviously somebody didn't get the memo.)

"Basically they had words, and this guy just head-butts (the Westfield coach) in the face," Capt. Cliff Auchter of the Westfield police told the newspaper.

I'm tired of reading stories about overzealous parents and coaches getting so caught up in the outcome of the game they forget what's really important.

Youth sports shouldn't be about winning, and it certainly isn't about the parents. A summer recreation league is about participation, having fun and learning the fundamentals of the sport.

What kind of example are parents setting for their kids when they're throwing haymakers after a game?

Just because parents act like fools at sporting events doesn't give kids a free pass to join them.

A brawl between two high school softball teams Monday night in Colorado Springs had to be broken up by police. The Denver Post reported, police had to be summoned to break up a fight involving more than 30 people, some armed with bats.

The fight started after a player was hit by a pitch and charged the mound. Of course it did. What else are you suppose to do when you get hit by a pitch ... walk to first base?

The softball game was cancelled, and both teams will likely to be reprimanded.

I hope the teams will look back at the brouhaha and realize fighting wasn't the answer, and it certainly didn't solve anything.

Take a look at this headline from the UK's Daily Mail: Babe, set and match: Why looks count for more than talent when Wimbledon decides which girls will play on Centre Court.

This has to be a mistake, right? I mean, it's 2009.

Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs 36 years ago, proving that women have the power to attract attention for their skills, not something as shallow as their looks. We are the generation that witnessed the Williams sisters pummel the ball with as much (and sometimes more) ferocity as the men.

Isn't babe ogling a little passé? Shouldn't women be appreciated for their tremendous tennis talent and not their short skirts?

Apparently not, according the Daily Mail.

The paper reports that a spokesman for the All England Club (the venue which hosts the event) admits "physical attractiveness is taken into consideration" when determining who plays at Centre Court and what players are relegated to the other courts.

"Good looks are a factor," Spokesman Johnny Perkins told the paper.

For its part, a BBC source, which broadcasts the matches, said: "It's the Wimbledon play committee, not us who decides on the order of play. But, obviously it's advantageous to us if there are good-looking women players on Centre Court...Our preference would always be a Brit or a babe as this always delivers high viewing figures."

Of course, any woman that makes it to Wimbledon is tremendously talented. But, when you have Victoria Azarenka seeded 8th and Sorana Cirstea seeded 28th at Centre Court while second seed Serena Williams and Roberta Vinci are simultaneously playing on Court 2, priorities seem a bit skewed.

Are viewers really that stupid? It seems the BBC is doing their home audience a disservice by assuming they enjoy watching women play simply for prurient reasons.
Female athletes have always struggled to be validated for their skills and not viewed as sex objects. But, perhaps more than most sports, tennis seems particularly prone this type of sexualizing.

Take for example, Frank Deford's recent NPR commentary where he defends a female tennis players' right to make noise on the court. Is it free speech and expression Deford values?

Umm...I wouldn't say that:

"I always thought the best grunter of all was a Romanian player named Virginia Ruzici of the 1970s whose shriek reminded one and all, vicariously, of ecstasy," says the almost giddy Deford. He then goes on to say, "Give me a good grunt on the tennis court any day...Listen, I may not remember much about the sounds of sport of 30 years ago, but the sensual cries of the long-forgotten Virginia Ruzici still sound like music to my ears."

One word: Ew.

Idealist I may be, but I think it's high time the world of sport (especially broadcast media) start embracing women for the fierce competitors they are--not the sex objects TV hopes will bring in ratings.

This weekend the world watched as the United States took on Brazil in the finals of the 2009 Confederations Cup.

Even after defeating Spain last week, who was ranked No. 1 in the world at the time, the US entered the game as the underdogs with everything to gain.

On the world stage, US interest in soccer has always been far below the norm. After the media's buzz around the defeat of Spain, many thought a Confederations Cup Championship could spark enough interest domestically to bring the international sport to the forefront.

But by losing to Brazil, 3-2, after entering halftime with a 2-0 lead, the US may have lost more than just a Championship title.

As one New York Times writer put it, "Nice try, good effort. For the rest of us, it's back to baseball until next summer's run to the World Cup." He went on to say, "instead of talking about a great triumph, we're back to talking about what United States soccer needs to break through at home."

Others are more realistic about what the Championship meant to the game's popularity. D.C. United's Ben Olsen, who played for the U.S. team in the 2006 World Cup, told the Washington Times about his ideas about the future of soccer in the US.

"I've been around long enough to know soccer in this country," Olsen said. "The popularity of soccer isn't going to be changed by one game or one win or a series of wins. It's a process. We're getting there. We're making progress, making strides. If we win the Confederations Cup, is D.C. United going to get 45,000 next week? Probably not. But for those of us in the soccer community, this is a great next step."

Some point to a lack of interest among the youth and flaws in youth programs as reason soccer doesn't attract our country's most elite athletes. Without these athletes, US teams will continue to underachieve and struggle internationally.

Sasho Cirovski, the coach of Maryland's NCAA champion men's soccer team, told the Washington Times "We have a uniquely different setup from the rest of the world in terms of how our youth is organized." He continued, "I think we're getting better athletes ... but we still have a long way to go. I think it takes a long time to build a culture of soccer. It's evolutionary. But this game is proof we can play with the big boys and that the American developmental system is working."

Still others think the effects the US team's fairy-tale run had on fan interest in the US has been immediate and tangible, despite losing in the finals.

"There is a huge demand for World Cup tickets, already 93000 have been sold and the response since [the victory against Spain] has been incredible," 2010 Local Organizing Committee media officer Jermaine Craig told the Daily Dispatch.

"There's phenomenal excitement from the United States," he added.

Have you noticed a change in public opinion in light of last week's games?

Did you grow up as a soccer fan? Did you tune into ESPN's broadcast of the game yesterday?

Do you think soccer has a place in the United States among our other major sports?

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the graduation of the NCAA Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females. The year-long program is designed to prepare diverse leaders for senior-level positions in athletics administration and by doing so, address one of the most critical inequalities in intercollegiate athletics.

Of the 331 athletics directors in Division I, there are 44 minority men and 8 women. In Division II, where there are 291 athletics directors there are 36 minority men and 10 women.

The numbers in Division III, the NCAA's largest division, are even more striking. Of the 444 athletics directors only 13 minority men and 5 women represented.
Those numbers are not nearly high enough.

The Institute is proof that there are accomplished minority men and women who possess the skills to succeed in these top positions.

So, why does there remain such a dearth of minority representation?

I had the opportunity to speak to some of yesterday's graduates when they were in town several months ago for a training weekend. When I talked with them about the uses of new media, I found them to be both engaged and forward-thinking and given their accomplishments to date, that's no surprise.

Applicants for the Institute must have at least three years of experience in athletics administration or transferrable experiences. They must also express a demonstrated commitment to develop professionally as administrators within the field of sports.

The result of this selective process produces a class of accomplished young minority leaders ready and able to take on the challenges of a senior athletics administration.
The program's success comes from its commitment to both training and networking.

Bonds forged during the four professional development sessions and week-long intensive workshop, give the Institute participants a community that they can turn to and rely upon as they continue down their professional paths.

These are bright individuals that will make a positive and lasting impact on our college campuses across the country. All they need is the opportunity to advance and the support to succeed.

If we are to take seriously the need to diversify college athletics, programs like the Institute are a critical step, but they can only go so far. As an Association, we must commit ourselves to look beyond the traditional hiring paradigm and realize that we will all be better off when we embrace diverse perspectives--especially in decision-making roles.

LSU won its sixth national Title last night, capping a three-game series against Texas 11-4. The Tigers led 4-0 in the first inning thanks to a 3-run homerun by Jared Mitchell who was voted the CWS Most Outstanding Player. Texas evened the game, but a double by LSU's Mikie Mahtook began a 5-run sixth. The Longhorns never recovered.

Next year marks the final College World Series in Rosenblatt stadium. We thought it would be fun to look back over some memories from the last 10 years of CWS baseball.

What are your favorite memories from the College World Series?

Yesterday we celebrated the 37th anniversary of the adoption of Title IX. As I worked on a timeline detailing the history of the legislation, I was struck by how recent the struggle for equality has been.

And, the debate continues. Just last week, a California court issued a ruling related to Title IX that could have lasting implications for universities around the country.

Traditionally, judges have ruled that a school is compliant with Title IX if the proportion of female participation comes within five percent of the representative population of the school. So, in the past, if a school's population was 50 percent female and 50 percent male, the university would be seen as compliant if just 45 percent of its athletes were female.

But, the ruling between the UC Davis and three female student-athletes, requires that the university come within 1.5 percent of proportionality. If it stands, the change could have a lasting impact on universities around the country.

"It is a boost in the momentum toward the real goal of equality of opportunity, and not a goal of approximate equality, but real equality," Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center, told the New York Times.

UC Davis has 10 years to meet these new requirements.

"UC Davis has a solid history of commitment to its female athletes and coaches and to expanding opportunities for women in competitive sports," Greg Warzecka, UC Davis athletics director, said in a press release.

"The time frames set out in the settlement maximize the potential to add varsity opportunities for women in the future. We are continually trying to maintain our compliance efforts to give women athletes the very best access to intercollegiate athletics competition possible."

What impact do you think the UC Davis ruling will have on the future composition of intercollegiate athletics?

Today is the 37th anniversary of the ground-breaking legislation that changed the face of intercollegiate athletics and ushered an era of opportunity for women in higher education. Check out our interactive timeline, detailing the high points over the lifetime of this often controversial law.

For the 35th anniversary, we profiled men and women from all walks of life, asking them the simple question: "What does Title IX mean to you?" Watch these compelling and emotional videos, which include softball legend Dr. Dot Richardson and Title IX pioneer Christine Grant.

Adrian Fenty, mayor of the District of Columbia and avid triathlete, officially proclaimed Friday to be the city's Olympic Day and spent it cheering on elementary school children enrolled in Achieve Kids Triathlon. The Washington-based non-profit runs a summer camp that uses professionally trained coaches and equipment to train about 75 campers between the ages of nine and 14 in triathlon competition for six weeks free of charge.

At the end of the program campers compete in a youth triathlon that includes a 100-meter swim, 5K bike ride and 3K run. By eliminating enrollment costs, the camp exposes children to triathlons who otherwise may never had an opportunity to compete in the expensive sport.

Unlike many organized team sports, adults are more likely to compete in triathlons than younger athletes. Last year about half of USA Triathlon's 107,000 members were between the ages 30-49. Triathlons can be a sport that young people use to remain in shape and compete in at a competitive level throughout their lives.

While I was growing up, it seemed that kids were pressured to choose one sport and the multi-sport athlete was becoming less common. Kids practiced a single sport year-round and played on elite teams in hopes of perfecting the game and earning a college scholarship.

A multi-sport athlete in a Division I program is a rare find these days as UCLA's Darius Savage is one of the few. In ESPN U's article about Savage they cite sport specialization as a major cause for the disappearance of multi-sport starts.

The move towards triathlons for young people will instead make kids well-rounded athletes with the ability to succeed in several different sports. Competing in triathlons arguably gives an athlete a diverse level of fitness by combining swimming, running and biking training techniques rather than overtraining one area or one body part.

Do you think this variety will cause the multi-sport athlete to make a resurgence at the collegiate level? Do you think sport benefits from having athletes that excel in several different sports?

I've noticed triathlons to be a growing trend these days. More colleges have begun adding club triathlon teams and the Northeast Collegiate Triathlon Conference (NECTC) boasts an impressive 18-school membership from around the northeast. Fifty-four complete male teams, 40 complete female teams and over 70 incomplete teams competed at this year's USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships.

Why are triathlons appealing? What impact will programs like Achieve Kids Triathlon have on the popularity of the sport? Do you think it's a good idea to promote triathlons to young athletes?

While I may not have been a 300 lb. lineman in college, reading Sports Illustrated's recent article about nutrition and body weight composition for student-athletes after college felt like a page out of my own diary.

As a Division I softball player my training regimen was based on heavy weights, low repetition, short sprints and very little endurance training. If you are unfamiliar with weightlifting, this type of training makes you bulky, for lack of a better word.

To give you a visual, I was a five-foot-four-inch female front squatting just under 200 lbs. and bench pressing around 145 lbs.

While I wasn't always excited about having strangers tell me I had "shoulders of a warrior," or feel my biceps and ask if I was a professional body builder--all while wearing my cutest sun dress--it was part of my quest to excel at the sport I love and I embraced my body image as that of a dedicated athlete.

I was excited to shed a few inches and put my weight training days behind me after I hung up my cleats and no longer had a batting average to worry about.

Unfortunately, my first trip to the gym was largely spent wandering around unsure where to start. I tried to take note of what exercises "normal" women my age were doing, but I kept reverting back to what was familiar: power squats and cleans.

Eating habits are an entirely different issue. I took a course in nutrition and attended team sessions with a nutritionist once a year so the issue was not what I was eating, but how much.

The dining hall's "all-you-can-eat" meal style after a long practice presented me with a problem in portion control that I still struggle with. I've learned I no longer need sports drinks during my workouts, and water paired with my meals increases my feeling of satisfaction.

But even with the best intentions, I could not ease in to a post-college workout regimen to fit my needs.

My solution? Organized classes at the gym.

The classes offered me direction and appealed to my competitive nature. It's easy to work hard when you're trying to work harder than the person next to you.

The Sports Illustrated article focuses on the extreme case of football players but this is a problem that affects athletes from all sports, all backgrounds and of all shapes and sizes. I think it's important to realize that as athletes the term "in shape" morphs throughout our lives and that we must be willing to adjust. In intercollegiate athletics we have to be aware of this struggle and prepare our student-athletes for it ... just as we prepare them to adjust to life in the workplace.

I would love to hear any similar stories or experiences you have.

Did you or someone you know have any of the same struggles?

Is it a different experience for males and females? Are there certain ways you made your transition easier? Are there any pitfalls that I didn't touch upon?

What about the transition socially into life as a retired athlete?

Recently the New York Times reported on the gender gap in urban youth sports and, specifically, how young girls' participation rates in urban centers are far behind that of girls from suburban communities.

According to a Women's Sports Foundation study, only 59% of urban girls between third and fifth grade compete in organized sport compared to 81% of girls in suburban areas. While female participation in sport increased nationwide by more than 20% between 1995-96 and 2004-05, the underrepresentation of the young urban female population is a disheartening reality.

The Times' article points to lack of funding, opportunity and support at home as causes for this underserved population, but also suggests hope for what's to come. Organizations around Boston including the Boston Girls' Sports and Physical Activity Project, Sports4Kids, GoGirlGo! and MetroLacrosse have taken active roles in finding new ways to encourage girl's participation and shake up what are considered to be traditional gender roles.

While these articles address what opportunities young girls and their families are missing out on, it fails to note what athletics is missing as a result of their absence.

Our cities represent the most culturally diverse areas of our country. By failing to serve the female youth of our diverse epicenters, we fail to expose the rest of the female athlete population to the educational, social and cultural benefits of competing in a diverse field.

Many point to expanding the types of athletics made readily available to young females as a solution. The Times cites Boys and Girls Clubs offering "girls-only play times," elementary and middle schools offering fitness clubs and high schools adding double Dutch as varsity squads.

• Do you think creating a "girl-friendly" athletic environment is a step in the right direction?
• Is getting a young girl interested in any kind of fitness enough to urge her participation throughout her adult life?
• Or is this reinforcing the archaic idea that only certain activities are meant for female participation?

Last year we wrote a lot about Brandon Jennings' decision to forgo college and play in Europe. Of course, college isn't for everyone, but Jennings--who averaged 5.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 17 minutes for Lottomatica Virtus Roma--might be rethinking his decision to grab a paycheck over a year in school.

"It was a humbling experience for me," Jennings told the New York Times. "If I would have went to college, I would have played 30 minutes and I would have got whatever I wanted, but I had to go earn my spot."

Jennings is still projected to go high in the draft, but his star shines a bit less brightly than it did when he joined the pros in Europe.

Since Jennings announced his decision to play in Italy, other promising athletes have followed suit, including Jeremy Tyler, who will miss his senior year of high school to play abroad. Learning from her male counterparts, Epiphanny Prince announced this week she would leave her Rutgers diploma behind to play ball in Europe.

Perhaps most troubling, Las Vegas baseball standout Bryce Harper has elected to leave high school two years early, get his GED and play at a junior college simply to qualify a year earlier for the draft.

I don't begrudge an athlete for using his or her skills to make a buck. What makes me uneasy, is the fact that these decisions are taken on with relatively little foresight.

What happens when Harper's .626 batting average dips when facing tougher pitchers? What do these athletes have to fall back on if they blow their ACL?

True, elite athletes like Jennings would likely be a one-and-done if they entered college, but isn't one year of school better than none?

I'm also very troubled by the precedent these decisions create. Few players are as talented as Harper, Jennings, Tyler and Prince. Will these stories encourage less-talented, young athletes to follow down a path on which they can't succeed?

At the end of the day, it's all about profit and the promise of millions. The problem is, payoffs are never guaranteed.

Earlier this week, the SportsBusiness Journal ranked the top revenue-generating college sports programs in the country. Texas ($120.3 million), Ohio State ($118 million) and Florida ($106 million) led the pack, which included four SEC and four Big Ten schools.

It's natural to see these colossal incomes and assume that athletics is an enormous economic boon for a university. The fact remains, however, that in most cases expenses at these top-tier programs exceed revenue, which means many athletics departments operate in the red--and the recession hasn't helped.

Ohio State, for example, has been one of the only Division I programs able to perennially turn a profit. This year Athletics Director Gene Smith anticipates a shortfall.

In 2006 the Presidential Task Force on the Future of Division I Intercollegiate Athletics noted that spending in athletics was outpacing the university as a whole and that growth was not sustainable over the long term. The findings prompted NCAA President Myles Brand to call for greater fiscal responsibility.

Universities have been striving to meet Brand's challenge by sharing best practices and participating in the NCAA's dash board project, a financial system that allows institutional leaders to compare anonymously their athletics spending with similar programs. Still, perhaps one of the greatest catalysts for change has been the on-going global recession.

Universities and conferences are cutting back on travel and other expenses like printed media guides. But, it remains to be seen if these changes will be enough to offset mounting expenses.

A recent study commissioned by the NCAA found that institutions are spending more on athletics as a function of the entire university budget (an average of 6 percent of an institution's overall spending is on athletics), up almost a full percentage point from comparable data from 2003. The study also found increased support for the existence of an "arms race," with data showing that a $1 increase in the average athletics operating expenditures by other schools in a conference can prompt a school to increase its own athletics spending by about 60 cents.

According to the Centre Daily Times, reported expenses for 2007-08, at Penn State, for example, were more than $79.2 million--an increase of nearly $8 million from the previous year and a 69 percent increase from the 2002-03 fiscal year. Despite record revenue and positive cash flow, the university is setting a good example by being prudent and cutting back.

While it is certainly good news to see universities generating significant revenue, fans should put those numbers in perspective and understand that, in most cases, athletics programs are lucky to break even.

The growth of intercollegiate lacrosse, a sport previously considered a regional phenomenon, has been steady, yet inconspicuous. That is until last week, when Princeton's Head Coach Bill Tierney announced he was leaving the Tigers after 22 years to accept a head coaching position at the University of Denver.

Tierney lead Princeton to 14 Ivy League titles and six NCAA National Championships. He'll leave to head a team in its 20th season, with only 10 in Division I. The Pioneers finished their year with a 7-8 record and saw three student athletes dismissed from the program.

So, why did Tierney decide to make the move? What impact will his decision have on the future growth of the sport and what does he hope to accomplish in Denver?

Find out in my exclusive interview with the lacrosse legend:

The growth of a sport is ultimately dependent upon its viewership and public interest. I want to hear from you:

• Has lacrosse gained popularity in your area?


• Have you ever watched a lacrosse game in person?


• Do you know anyone who plays lacrosse?


• Do you think lacrosse can become a major revenue sport and compete with others like basketball, football or baseball?

Judging by the in-depth coverage of this coaching change lacrosse's rise to power has finally reached the forefront.

Here are some links following Tierney's decision:

The New York Times sits down with Coach Tierney.

Lacrosse Magazine compares Tierney to another lacrosse legend.

Check out the Wall Street Journal's piece on the expansion of lacrosse to the west coast.

Concordia University Wisconsin, a Division III school, announced it will add men's and women's lacrosse. It's reported that 17 colleges added women's lacrosse while 12 added men's programs during the 2007-08 school year.

With much of the discussion of the sports strength coming from the youth interest, the Daily Item, a newspaper out of Pennsylvania, did an article about the emergence of lacrosse among its high schools and middle schools.

This post was written by Director of the NCAA News Gary Brown.

Do you have what it takes to be an athletics administrator with integrity? Test your ethics by taking the following exam. Answer "Fair" or "Foul" to the following seven "situations," then grade yourself against the answers provided at the end.

Situation 1: You're an AD and your baseball team is playing a conference game at home before a crowd of about 70 fans, parents and students. In the sixth inning, the first-base ump calls your runner out when it is apparent that he was safe. Your manager goes out to argue, then asks the first-base ump to confer with the plate umpire. They do and the call stands. Now your manager is really angry and actually wants to get booted. He says to the first-base ump: "This is bull----!" loud enough for everyone in the crowd to hear and does indeed get ejected. Your team trailed at the time but rallies to win the game.

___ Fair
The call was clearly wrong and the manager had every right to argue in that manner. He was trying to fire up his team (which he in fact did) and besides, managers being ejected is part of the baseball culture.

___ Foul
Regardless of whether the umpire made a mistake, the manager has to understand that there are consequences to his actions. The AD should discipline the manager, explaining that his actions don't encourage fans to return for future games.

Situation 2: You're a pep band director at a small school and your musicians travel to your arch rival for a men's and women's basketball doubleheader. You notice that when your players miss a free-throw attempt, the home-team pep band shouts out in unison, "How embarrassing!" much to the enjoyment of the home crowd. Your players don't seem bothered by this but you wonder whether you should approach the home-team band director and discuss whether that's out of line.

___ Fair
You have a right to approach your peer. While it's one thing for the student section to organize cheers, the band is supposed to inspire the crowd by music, not with chants.

___ Foul
Get real. The band is just having a little fun, and they're not even saying anything derisive or profane. The home-team band director would laugh in your face if you say you are bothered by this tongue-in-cheek behavior.

Situation 3: You're an assistant AD in charge of game management for your men's and women's basketball programs and your AD has mentioned that he'd like to promote you to an associate AD when the time is right. It has been a tradition at the men's game for the student section to chant "Da daaa da - Hey! You Suck! ... Da daaa da - Hey! You Suck!" during timeouts. It makes you a little uneasy, but nobody has complained about it. Then you notice that the student section at your women's games - while not as large as at the men's games - starts doing the same cheer. You pay particular attention to this trend, since your women's crowd is more family oriented. You wonder if you should approach your AD about it.

___ Fair
Yes, you should go to the AD - you probably should have done that much earlier than this. If you're bothered by it, odds are others are bothered, too. The students can support their team without deriding the opponents or their fans.

___ Foul
"You suck" isn't even offensive, so no wonder people haven't complained. It's part of this generation's language. You'd be making a mountain out of mole hill if you try to regulate this.

Situation 4: You're a producer for ESPN covering a Division I women's basketball game, and a star player makes a great block and drops an "F" bomb in a show of uncontrolled enthusiasm. It's not only audible, but lip-readers would have no trouble understanding her as well. You wonder whether to show a replay.

___ Fair
You absolutely show a replay, but you don't have the sound on. This was a great play - not calling attention to it would be circumspect.

___ Foul
Even though the guys in the truck want to show the play again, you call it off.

Situation 5: You're a soccer official working the sidelines during a heated NCAA tournament match, and you notice two reserves on the home team bench really giving it to an opponent on the field who has colored his hair green to match his school color. After one of the comments, the green-haired player spits in the duo's direction, causing them to step up their derision and begin making homophobic remarks. You wonder whether you should ask the home-team's assistant coach to tell them to stop.

___ Fair
Yes you should. Soccer already has a reputation for out-of-line behavior, and there's no place in any game for that kind of abuse.

___ Foul
I agree that the behavior is out of line, but bench decorum is not your jurisdiction. That is a team/institution matter. You're there to call the game - stay out of the personal stuff.

Situation 6: You're a college president facing campus-wide budget cuts. Your men's basketball program has steadily improved over time to the point that the team regularly competes for the conference championship. Your coach wants to upgrade the arena by replacing the bleachers with chair-back seating. While expensive, the coach believes it will encourage a broader fan base and thus energize the facility for home games and help the team take that "next step" competitively. However, to afford the upgrade, you may have to eliminate your men's and women's swimming program, which has not been competitive recently.

___ Fair
Investing in a sport that has a likelihood of a healthy return (because of increased fan interest and, in turn, revenue) is a wise choice. While no one wants to cut programs, there's a chance that the funds raised by the basketball upgrade will result in reinstating the swim program with more funding in the future.

___ Foul
Cutting sports should be a last-resort decision. The point of sponsoring athletics is to provide broad-based opportunities and not focus on one or two sports just because of the revenue potential.

Situation 7: You're an associate AD in charge of compliance and you also serve as the athletics department's senior woman administrator. Your institution's men's basketball program has struggled lately but has just hired a young, dynamic male coach who has had success at the high school level but has never led a college program. He's also good friends with the AD. Within the first two weeks, you become aware that he's committed several infractions that you know would be classified as secondary. You also know that the AD knows about the infractions but he hasn't talked with you about them yet.

___ Fair
You confront the AD about the infractions because you don't want to put yourself in jeopardy, and you want to teach the coach all that's necessary to run a clean program.

___ Foul
You let it go, figuring that secondary violations aren't penalized anyway, so why risk a good relationship with a guy who make take your program to new heights. Besides, if the AD doesn't care, why should you?

Answers: (1) Foul; (2) Fair; (3) Fair; (4) Foul; (5) Fair; (6) Foul; (7) Fair.
7 correct answers: You're hired!
6 correct answers: There's hope for you.
5 correct answers: Better go to some NACDA and NACWAA seminars.
4 correct answers: No promotion for you.
3 or fewer: You're fired!

In October ESPN the Magazine will put its first "Body Issue" on the stands, featuring naked amateur, professional and Olympic athletes. According to USA Today, the magazine plans to feature current athletes while also exploring the history of the athletic form.

Sure, ESPN's plans are an obvious ploy to create buzz and take ad dollars away from Sports Illustrated. But, unlike SI's swimsuit issue, which has used sexualized images to sell copies for years, ESPN's mission seems to be (at least on the surface) a bit higher minded.

Editor in chief Gary Belsky assured USA Today that the issue would strive to be tasteful. They plan to"use equipment and pads and bats and goalposts and soccer nets and pucks and helmets to obscure body parts that we still can't quite go to in a magazine that's part of a company owned by (Disney)," he told the paper.

On one hand, I recognize that the naked athletic form can be both inspirational and beautiful. Last year Powerade produced an ad campaign of naked British Olympians that, in my mind, tastefully explored nudity and athleticism.

When it comes to ESPN, however, I worry that the magazine may struggle to balance sensationalism and art. If the editors avoid the temptation to cast athletes as sex objects, they could produce an interesting statement on the limits of the human body. Can ESPN eschew come-hither looks and cheesy poses?

Still, esthetics and tastes are highly subjective and some may find that an all-nude issue crosses the lines of decency.

What do you think? Is it OK to for athletes to pose nude? What if student-athletes are featured?

Personally, I look forward to seeing what ESPN produces. If the results are closer to Discobolus and not Playboy, I may even pick up an issue.

The British Journal of Sports Medicine announced this week revised recommendations on the treatment of athletes exhibiting symptoms of a concussion. In a move that has stirred controversy in the medical and sport community around the world, the journal wrote that athletes 18 years or younger should not be permitted to continue play if they complain of concussion-like symptoms.

Critics of the recommendation argue that the new guidelines will only worsen the problem. Athletes eager to stay in the game, they say, will simply stop reporting symptoms, putting them at even greater risk for serious and potentially life-threatening complications.

"More kids will be hurt seriously because of this, either by players not admitting they might have gotten a concussion or coaches encouraging them not to be up front about their symptoms, whether subtly or overtly," Dr. Bob Sallis, a past president of the American College of Sports Medicine and a longtime sideline doctor in Southern California, told the New York Times.

Personally, I think journal's recommendations are spot-on. Why the heck wouldn't a coach take an athlete out of the game if he thought the athlete might have a concussion?

As obvious as the recommendations sound, however, I believe they will be ineffective until we address the larger culture issues at hand. Athletes are encouraged from an early age to "suck it up" when they're injured. This type of macho attitude can exacerbate injuries and put student-athletes at risk.

Why do athletes play through pain, even when it can cause more harm in the future? Do they feel a burden to show up for their team? Is it pride?

Have you ever played through an injury, even when you knew it wasn't a good idea?

How can we solve this problem and encourage responsible reactions to injuries by both athletes and coaches?

Check out other posts on this topic:
More than just a headache - Oct 27, 2008

Football causes lasting head trauma - Jan 29, 2009

Coaches should learn to recognize signs of traumatic brain injuries - Apr 02, 2009

Arkansas (39-22)- The Razorbacks come to Omaha after knocking off the 5th-ranked Florida State Seminoles in dramatic fashion in the Super Regionals. Senior Andrew Darr started his first game in almost a month, staking his claim to the spot by collecting four hits, including a game-winning walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth. Darr also scored a solo homerun in the seventh, touching off a five-run inning.

They begin play Saturday in Omaha, facing off against second seed Cal State Fullerton.

Like many baseball teams, the Razorbacks have their fair share of superstitions they'll bring with them to Omaha. Check out this video highlighting the team's idiosyncrasies, which coach Dan Van Horn says is a product of too much extra time in baseball.

LSU (51-16)- Riding a Super Regional sweep of Rice into the World Series, LSU returns to Omaha for the second consecutive year, its 15th in program history. In his third year at LSU, head coach Paul Mainieri has led to Tigers to their most team wins since 2000, the last time they won the National Championship.

But winning it all will be far from easy. Manieri's squad will have to get past a worthy opponent in the first round--Virginia, headed by coach Brian O'Connor, Manieri's top assistant for nine years at Notre Dame. Manieri gave the young O'Connor, 23 at the time, his first big coaching job and while the two have remained close through the years, it should cause a competitive and exciting opening series.

Cal State Fullerton (47-14)- Returning to the World Series for the third time in four years and the 16th time in their history, the Titans are the No. 2 seed entering the Championship. Beating Louisville by a comfortable margin in the Super Regionals, 12-0, 11-2, Fullerton will look to earn their first National Championship since 2004.

One of the Titan's standouts spent the last year busing tables and has since found himself fielding .909 and batting .361 -- second best on the team -- with 39 hits, 19 runs and 21 RBIs in 43 at-bats. Joey Siddons, who has had to rehab from two major surgeries, understands the perseverance it takes in order to become a champion.

North Carolina (42-16)- The Tar Heels are heading to their fourth-straight World Series appearance after handling East Carolina in two games, 10-1, and, 9-3. Riding a five-game win streak, UNC is hoping to walk away with something the program has yet to attain: a National Championship.

With a team of pitching aces like Dustin Ackley and Alex White, both likely to be chosen in the first two rounds in tonight's MLB draft, this could be the year they achieve it. But the majors isn't for everyone, as teammate Matt Harvey proved in 2007 when he turned down a $1.4 million deal with the Angels right out of high school. Harvey instead chose a scholarship to UNC and has no regrets. "I wouldn't change my decision for anything," Harvey said. "If I could tell all the kids out there, based on my decision, I'd say go to college."

Paul Doyle reports on the Tar Heels' quest for a National Championship in the Hartford Courant.

For Tar Heels fans, this academic year may seem too good to be true. With the World Series berth, North Carolina became the first ACC school to reach the college World Series, a bowl game and the men's basketball Final Four in the same season. This milestone doesn't mention the rest of the university's bragging rights from the 2008-09 season: Women's Soccer National Championship, Men's Soccer National Runner-up, Women's Lacrosse National Runner-up and Men's Lacrosse Elite 8 appearance.

Virginia (48-13-1)- After dropping the first game of the Oxford Super Regional Championship to Ole Miss, Virginia rallied to win the next two games, 4-3, and, 5-1, and clinch the team's first appearance in the College World Series. Although new to the World Series, for head coach Brian O'Connor (who has been with the program for six years), the trip to Omaha, will be filled with familiar faces.

O'Connor, who grew up just across the border of Omaha in Council Bluffs, Iowa, knows Rosenblatt Stadium well, but may know his opposition on Saturday, LSU head coach Paul Mainieri, even better. O'Connor served under Mainieri as the top assistant at Notre Dame for nine years and the two developed a close relationship, one Mainieri describes as his best in baseball. After Mainieri took the helm at LSU the friends agreed to only face off in the NCAA tournament, a matchup it seems fate has dictated.

Check out Sean Ryan's complete story at baseballinsider.com

Southern Miss. (40-24)- This year's eight team field in Omaha is littered with new faces making it to the big dance for the first time, but not many as weathered as 12th year Southern Miss. head coach Corky Palmer. Palmer, who announced he will retire after this season in April, may not have realized just how long this season may last. His team has rallied since the announcement, winning 12 of their last 15 games while appearing in, and winning, their first ever Super Regional Championship with a come-from-behind upset over No. 8 Florida. Now on their way to Omaha, a lifelong dream for Palmer, USM is trying to send their coach out with the greatest parting gift of all, a National Championship.

Arizona St. (49-12)- Arizona State defeated Clemson, 8-2, on the shoulders of an unlikely ace. Junior Josh Spence has only thrown seven innings in the last 43 days for the Sun Devils after a slew of injuries including a line drive at his face early in the season. Spence's first eight pitches went for strikes as he earned 0-2 counts on five of the first six Tigers and ended the game with 10 strike outs, one walk and allowed only four hits.

While Spence's performance lifted his teammates, the post-season play of his squad lifted the local economy. Sellout crowds filled the Super Regional Series against Clemson and additional shopping in the Tempe--including ASU hats and shirts--have given local shops much needed business now that students have left for the summer.

Click here for more on Tempe, Arizona's baseball-driven economy.

Check out more coverage of Spence's performance and Arizona's World Series clinching game.

Texas (46-14-1)- Although TCU made it interesting by forcing No. 1 Texas to a decisive game three in the Super Regional Championship in Austin, the Longhorns took game three by a 5-2 victory to secure their 32nd trip to Omaha. It has been three years since their most recent trip, however, after earning the title in 2005.

This year's road to Omaha certainly hasn't been the easiest of the 32. Who can forget their record-breaking, 25-inning game in the Regional Finals against Boston College? Their pitching arguably carried them to victory in that game, and many would say it has carried them all the way to Omaha. Kirk Bohls from statesman.com points out that the pitching staff makes up over half of the Longhorn's scholarship grant money, which takes the edge off Austin Wood's 13-inning no-hitter relief performance in the historic BC game.

Over the weekend, Division II West Chester celebrated the 50th anniversary of women's athletics at the university. One of the oldest women's varsity athletics programs in the country, West Chester serves as a poignant reminder of the struggles women waged on behalf of gender equity.

In my position at the NCAA, I've had the unique opportunity to meet many pioneers in women's athletics. As someone born after the adoption of Title IX, it's sometimes easy to take for granted the sacrifices that men and women made to give me an equitable life.
For the 35th anniversary of Title IX, I helped produce a feature called, "What does Title IX mean to you?"

I interviewed women and men from several generations, asking them to reflect on the impact the legislation made on their lives.

"One of the most frustrating things in the world is to be given a gift--a talent--and not being given the opportunity to express that gift," two-time Olympic softball gold medalist Dot Richardson told me as she recounted the coach that suggested she dress as a boy in order to play little league. She refused and instead opted for softball.

As a kid Donna Lopiano, former CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation, had the dream of pitching for the New York Yankees. She was crushed when she was told she couldn't play little league because she is a girl. "I don't think there's anything worse than a child being told they can't pursue their dreams," she said. (Lopiano was recently named to an International Baseball Federation panel, which will push to make women's baseball an Olympic sport.)

When Senior Associate Commissioner and Chief of Staff of the Horizon League Alfreeda Goff began her track and field coaching career, some parents were reluctant to allow their daughters to participate, fearing that rigorous physical would prevent the girls from having babies later in life.

Beyond the stories of struggle, misconceptions and opportunities lost, there was an overwhelming fear that the current generation fails to grasp the importance of Title IX.
"I've had an opportunity to work with undergraduate students, graduate students, young professionals and I'm amazed at how few fully understand what Title IX is," said former NCAA Senior Vice President Judy Sweet.

When my grandmother went to college (an unusual feat in its own right in 1942) women were trained for supportive roles. According to the Report Card on Gender Equity, before Title IX, most medical and law schools limited the number of women admitted to 15 or fewer per school.

Fifty years isn't that long ago, but it's incredible to me how far our society has come since West Chester first introduced women's athletics. Is it really a bad thing that my generation can't fathom a time when women weren't given the opportunity to explore their athletic and academic abilities?

Is that progress?

If we don't understand the history of Title IX and the shared sacrifices of those who helped enact it, is the future of gender equity at risk?

Take some time to check our these videos:

The first African-American head football coach in what today is the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) -- the 119 institutions that compete in the annual postseason bowl games -- was hired in 1979. In the 30 years since, a grand total of 27 African-Americans have been head coaches in the subdivision if you don't count those at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

This fall, there will be seven coaches of color among the 119 schools in the subdivision.

Frankly, the lack of progress in minority hiring is a disgrace.

Over the last few years, there has been a concerted effort to expand the number of black head coaches. One of the approaches has been to get more diversity into the interviewing process. And there has been increasing pressure to install "the Rooney Rule" in college football -- which mandates interviews for minority candidates when there are head coach vacancies in the NFL -- as a means to that end.

Currently, the state of Oregon is considering legislation that will do just that for colleges and universities in the Beaver state.

Helping lead the effort for greater diversity and inclusion in intercollegiate athletics is NCAA Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Charlotte Westerhaus. I recently asked her to comment on the Rooney Rule and its application to college football.

Here are her thoughts:

Controversy and national debate surrounding what to do about the small number of head coaches of color within Division I FBS has recently been reignited due to a proposed bill in the state of Oregon which would require intercollegiate athletic departments to interview minorities for all open coaching and athletic administrative positions.

Expanding opportunities within the interviewing process is a key and good practice. From the NCAA's perspective, this is hardly a new revelation. Time and time again, NCAA President Myles Brand has assertively and publicly called on NCAA member institutions to expand the search process and interview candidates of color for all leadership positions because diversity and inclusion is essential to the NCAA's end-sum success.

The stark reality is that the numbers of NCAA head football coaches of color is indefensibly low. Moreover, the lack of opportunity, diversity and inclusion within the ranks of head coaching has been going on for far too long.

However, as shameful as the present situation is, the NCAA should not allow itself to be pushed into a course of policy action that may at best give false hope to the deserving and more significantly, misplace the focus of needed solutions which will significantly change the present drought of diversity.

Many in the general public view professional football and intercollegiate football as being virtually one and the same within a context that the game of football binds both as a singular sporting event. Thus, it is understandable that some civil rights advocates call for the NCAA membership to support the proposed Oregon bill and to do even more by implementing the NFL's "Rooney Rule."

If you hold the notion that NFL football and NCAA football are one and the same, you are just plain wrong. The NCAA is not the NFL. The NCAA is not a league. Rather, it is a non-profit and voluntary association and thus, cannot influence campus hiring practices. Moreover, the NCAA is not a state like Oregon, nor is it a state-entity responsible for regulating and legislating policy for a citizenry of constituents.

The NCAA does not hire football coaches or coaches of any collegiate sport. Athletic directors who work for NCAA member institutions are responsible for interviewing and hiring.

Now that I have set forth key and relevant differences between the NCAA and NFL, I also want to emphasize that equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion are core values within the NCAA. As an African American woman, I openly acknowledge that I have benefited from affirmative opportunities to compete for professional talents based on what I brought to the table - my talents and ability to get the job done better than any other candidate. Not being interviewed or considered for employment because of one's race, gender, creed, color, sexual orientation, age, disability, and religion is wrong.

However, mandatory interviews of minority candidates will not eradicate the practice and stigma of tokenism. The only thing worse than not being hired due to one's race or ethnicity is being considered for a position solely because this individual represents diversity within a mandatory interview process. This is a belittling practice and no wants, needs or should be used as token.

Dedicated social change agents and pundits who urge the NCAA to adopt the "Rooney Rule" may be unaware of of another important reality - more candidates of color are being interviewed for head coaching positions than ever before. The fact of the matter is that 27 candidates of color were interviewed for 22 vacancies at the Division I level last fall. These numbers far exceed the number of mandated head coaching interviews of minorities conducted by the NFL.

If the focus remains squarely on diversity-related interviews, the NCAA could now accurately proclaim that it already reached the shores of the "Rooney Rule" promise land. Not only did Division I FBS institutions support the notion of increasing the numbers of minorities interviewed, they did it voluntarily for virtually every head football coaching opening. No wonder the most recent Black Coaches and Administrators Hiring Report Card recently awarded the highest number of "A" grades for interviewing since the inception of the report five years ago.

I am aware that supporters of the "Rooney Rule" point to the end-results - more African Americans than ever before are head coaches within the NFL. Therefore, they conclude that the same result will occur in the NCAA if it adopted a similar tactic.

Let's keep our eye on a key point as we examine this assertion. The "Rooney Rule" is an interviewing rule. More candidates than ever before were interviewed last fall without a interview mandate similar to the "Rooney Rule" and without the possibility of sanctions for noncompliance. What was the end result? Only four African Americans were hired as head football coaches of color in Division I FBS. This simply is not good enough.

The NCAA is not opposed to equal opportunity within the interview process. But what is needed now is an end to side-stepping the crux of the hiring dilemma. Interviewing is not hiring. What is needed is more hires of head football coaches of color, not mandated interviews and the continued perpetuation of false hope.

This post was written by Michelle Brutlag Hosick, Associate Director, The NCAA News.

I started tweeting about nine months ago. I don't use the technology very much, at least I didn't until I started writing an NCAA News story about athletics departments that use the tool. But I do see the appeal for athletics departments. Twitter is a great (and immediate) way to get your message out directly to the people who want it most - the fans. In some quarters, though, voices are raised in opposition to the format.

In the course of researching the story, I saw that some coaches and athletics departments already have a broad reach in the medium. Kentucky fans, for example, follow new men's basketball coach John Calipari in droves, and the school's main athletics Twitter feed is the most popular for any Division I program. The medium allows you to "follow" people from afar, to feel connected to someone you've never met, almost as though you're chatting in their living room. More than 100,000 people follow Coach Cal. That's a pretty big living room.

And therein lays the appeal. Twitter has a certain exclusivity, a sense that - though it's not true - this is a personal communication. For fans who live and breathe their college sports programs, the Twitter feed can be intoxicating. Athletics departments use the tool to feed those fans who hunger for information - even the most mundane tidbits - 24/7.
The medium can be dangerous, though. The ease of conversation can trip up coaches and fans, lulling them into a false sense of security. Recruiting violations have already happened and are likely to continue. Does this mean we should do away with the technology completely? I say that's absurd.

Coaches use the telephone to commit recruiting violations as well - and no one is suggesting we ban the use of the phone. Using Twitter is just like putting up a billboard alongside the highway, except this highway is electronic and can be seen by anyone who wants it.

Nobody knows what the next big thing will be in college sports communication, but the solution probably isn't going to be to ban it completely.

twitter.com/NCAADoubleAZone − Provides updates from the official blog of the NCAA, the Double-A Zone.

twitter.com/NCAANews − Provides headlines from The NCAA News.

twitter.com/BehindtheNCAA − Provides NCAA information not always captured in the mainstream media.

twitter.com/NCAA − Provides updates from NCAA.com, the Association's championships-oriented Web site.

Have you heard about the Phoenix Mercury's decision to replace their team's jersey logo with a corporate logo from sponsor LifeLock?

First, I think it's fine (if a bit short-sided) for professional teams to sell spots on their jerseys to the highest bidder. It's worked in European football for many years (although I'm still not really sure what the official logo for my husband's favorite football club, Liverpool, looks like.)

I'm not convinced it makes good marketing sense to nix your team's authentic brand in exchange for a few million; but, I guess it's better to have a team playing than shutting their doors because they can't make payroll.

I wasn't even going to write about this issue because it doesn't really have anything to do with college sports. But then I read Bob Molinaro's column from the Virginian-Pilot . In it Molinaro suggests that jersey pimping might be a good solution to tight budgets at cash-strapped colleges and universities.

"At a time of great fiscal uncertainty at all levels of sports," writes Molinaro, "shouldn't we re-evaluate our alleged aversion to corporate clutter on uniforms, especially as it applies to non-professional sports?"

My answer: absolutely, positively not.

It's true, colleges and universities are facing unprecedented financial struggles, but selling one of the things that makes college sports special--its tie to the university--would do more harm than good. The jersey is different than a building or court built by wealthy donors--it is one of the most highly visible symbols of the university and devaluing that tie would be a terrible step in the wrong direction.

Further, it would force student-athletes to wear a product or a service that they may or may not personally endorse. And what about jersey sales? I'm a proud Miami (Ohio) grad, but I would never wear a jersey with Cintas (Richard T. Farmer, the owner of Cintas is a big Miami donor), rather than a Redhawk, across the chest.

Of course, as Molinaro points out, the membership, who make the rules governing intercollegiate athletics, would likely never allow schools to sell their jersey space. He says they're hypocrites, but he's wrong. Our membership understands the inherent value (yes, both fiscally and emotionally) of athletics being part of the fabric of the university.

University athletics departments must find ways to generate revenue, and defining the boundaries of commercial activity isn't always easy. Still, I'm heartened that we don't allow jerseys to go to the highest bidder.

That's not hypocrisy, that's just common sense.

Washington won its first softball national title Tuesday night, beating the top-seeded Gators 3-2 to complete a WCWS championship sweep.

Washington (51-12) kept the championship in the Pac-10 by keeping Florida from bringing the Southeastern Conference its first title. The Pac-10 has won 21 of the 27 Women's College World Series titles, with Arizona State and Washington joining powerhouses UCLA (11 championships) and Arizona (eight) the past two years.

Check out all the WCWS coverage!

Photo gallery

Washington cruised through Game 1 of the WCWS championship series, as the Huskies shutout top seed Florida 8-0.

Danielle Lawrie threw a two-hitter to set a new Washington record with her 41st career shutout. Check out ncaa.com/wcws for the full story.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Tuesday night on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. (ET)

Follow along with all the action online:

Twitter: twitter.com/ncaawcws and ESPN360.com.

Strike Out Cancer

At tonight's Women's College World Series the NCAA and AT&T are teaming with the American Cancer Society to support the "Strike Out Cancer" initiative.

"We are happy to be working with the NCAA and AT&T to promote the 'Strike Out Cancer' initiative," said Sara Hawkins, American Cancer Society of Oklahoma regional director of communications. "This initiative will increase awareness about the early detection and prevention of cancer and allow us to celebrate the lives of those who have survived."

As part of the initiative, 25 cancer survivors will be recognized before tonight's opening game. The ceremonial first pitch also will be thrown by a local cancer survivor.

"At AT&T, we're glad to share the winning spirit of this year's NCAA champion teams with the American Cancer Society - and with some folks whose perseverance in the fight against cancer is an inspiration to us all," said Tim McGhee, executive director of corporate sponsorships, AT&T. "We're looking forward to cheering on that first pitch - and to a great series of games."

Tonight's first pitch

Tonight's first pitch was thrown out by cancer survivor Haley Bubbard. Haley is a two-time cancer survivor. At age 11, she was first diagnosed with CML leukemia and then again at age 16 with mucoepidermoid carcinoma. She's undergone a bone marrow transpant, chemotherapy, radiation, and tumor removal. She's a true cancer survivor.

Haley is currently enrolled in the Physician Associate Program in the College of Medicine at the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center.

Check out it out all the Double-A Zone's WCWS coverage.

It's been an unbelievable day of softball at the Women's College World Series. Florida advanced to its first WCWS championship series in dramatic fashion, and Washington knocked off Georgia in the nightcap, joining the Gators in the championship series.

Grand slam Sunday

Somebody call Denny's, I'm getting hungry. There have been four grand slams in the WCWS, and 24 home runs -- shattering the old record (20).

Sunday's games:

Washington 9, Georiga 3: The Huskies rebounded after an afternoon loss to beat Georgia on Sunday night and advance to the championship series.

Washngton pitcher Daniel Lawrie chats with ESPN after the game.

Florida 6, Alabama 5: Unbelievable finish to this SEC battle. Go find ESPN2 and watch the replay. Ali Gardiner hit a walk-off grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the seventh as Florida stunned Alabama 6-5 to advance to the championship round of the Women's College World Series for the first time. Who will join the Gators in the championship?

(Early game) Georgia 9, Washington 8: The early Georgia vs Washington game lasted more than four hours, and was the longest first seven innings in series history. The long game wasn't short on drama. The Bulldog's Brianna Hesson walked to force in the winning run in the ninth inning as the Geogria beat Washington 9-8.

Where did that grand slam land? Right here:

Another hot day at the ballpark

Everyone was going what they could to stay hydrated and out of the sun. Misting tents were set up along the first and third base concourses.

Click here for a recap of Thursday's action at the WCWS.

Florida 1, Michigan 0

Washington 1, Arizona State 0 - eight innings

The Huskies knocked off defending champion Arizona State in a battle of Pac-10 teams. Morgan Stuart singled home the winning run and Danielle Lawrie didn't walk a batter and retired 15 straight at one point for the win.

Arizona State will need to win three straight games to make the championship game.

Earlier today

The gates opened at 5 p.m. (local time) and fans poured into the stadium. The first 1,000 fans received WCWS key chains.