Group raises concerns over Title IX, men's soccer

Article here. Excerpt:

'With the World Cup approaching, an organization that advocates Title IX reform released a report lamenting the lack of growth in men's soccer at top athletic programs.

Only 59 percent of Division I programs offer men's soccer, according to the College Sports Council's study. That's a far cry from the 93 percent that offer women's soccer and the CSC says the disparity is because of Title IX and the way schools try to comply with it.

That conclusion was met with a stern rebuttal from both the NCAA and the Women's Sports Foundation, with the latter group saying the law tries to create equal opportunities for male and female athletes but does not force schools to forsake certain sports or offer others.

The CSC's report, released Thursday, points out that there were 197 men's soccer teams in Division I in 2008-09, the same number as in 1995-96. Over that same period, the number of women's teams increased from 189 to 310.

"Men's soccer has really been harmed," said Eric Pearson, chairman of the CSC. "Since 1996, the growth of the sport at the collegiate level has been held back."