ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 Alliance Announce Year-Long Title IX 50th Anniversary Celebration Plans
Campaign to Feature Public Service Announcement and Recognition of Student-Athletes, Coaches & Administrators Over the Past 50 Years Who Made Significant Impact
GREENSBORO, NC & ROSEMONT, IL & SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 Alliance today announced details of the year-long plan to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX through its multi-pronged campaign “Celebrating 50 Years of Title IX TogetHER.”
Title IX, the groundbreaking federal civil rights law, prohibits gender discrimination in educational programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Since its passage, the historic legislation has positively impacted the lives of women and provided a pathway in their continued pursuit of achieving gender equity in collegiate athletics.
The celebration, which began with the unveiling of the campaign and logo in February on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, will ramp up significantly during the 2022-23 academic year. A centerpiece of the campaign is a new public service announcement that the three conferences collaborated on in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX. The PSA will air on the three conference networks, throughout the league’s events and championships, as well as the conferences’ social media channels.
Additionally, later this year, each conference will recognize and highlight 50 notable student-athletes, coaches and/or administrators who have made a significant impact during the last 50 years. The Alliance’s 41 world-class member institutions’ have combined to win 352 NCAA women’s championships and a combined 1,038 total NCAA Championships.
The Alliance’s Title IX 50th Anniversary Celebration logo will be featured on apparel, signage and other branding items throughout conference championships and events. The three leagues will also honor the storied history and success of former, current and future female student-athletes, coaches and administrators through a variety of program offerings.
To bring awareness to what all 41 institutions across the Alliance are doing on campus, each conference has created a Title IX Microsite in conjunction with today’s release, which consists of links to member institutions’ Title IX web sites, creative content and Title IX celebrations throughout the academic year.
In addition, the Alliance will identify multiple opportunities to amplify individual member institution celebrations throughout the campaign period.
“The golden anniversary of Title IX is a truly incredible milestone, and we are proud to honor this significant moment while also understanding we have a responsibility to further fairness and equity for women within college athletics,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “We look forward to celebrating this remarkable anniversary throughout the 2022-23 academic year and doing so with our Alliance partners and the 41 world-class institutions within the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12.”
“Title IX forever changed the landscape of college athletics,” said Big Ten Conference Commissioner Kevin Warren. “As a result of the platform provided by Title IX, talented young women across the nation have been empowered to realize their dreams. The Big Ten Conference is proud to take a leading role in gender equity to elevate women’s sports nationwide and to continue to foster an environment for women to thrive. We look forward to being a driving force during the next 50 years as we continue to enable future generations of student-athletes.”
“Title IX has created countless opportunities for women to achieve their dreams through sport and beyond,” said Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff. “This Title IX campaign is a great example of the power that our three conferences can bring to bear to celebrate and amplify the importance of this seminal law and all those who have embodied the importance of opportunity and equity.”
About The ACC-Big Ten-Pac 12 Alliance
In August 2021, the ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-12 Conferences formed an historic alliance that brought 41 world-class institutions together on a collaborative approach surrounding the future evolution of college athletics and scheduling. The alliance – which was unanimously supported by the presidents, chancellors, and athletics directors at all 41 institutions – is guided in all cases by a commitment to, and prioritization of, supporting student-athlete well-being, academic and athletic opportunities, experiences, and diverse educational programming. The three conferences are grounded in their support of broad-based athletic programs, the collegiate model, and opportunities for student-athletes as part of the educational missions of the institutions. The three conferences remain competitors in every sense but are committed to collaborating and providing thought leadership on various opportunities and challenges facing college athletics, including: student-athlete mental and physical health, safety, wellness, and support; strong academic experience and support; diversity, equity, and inclusion; social justice; gender equity; future structure of the NCAA; federal legislative efforts; postseason championships and future formats; and scheduling for football, women’s and men’s basketball, and Olympic sports. The Alliance includes:
- World-leading academic institutions committed to the shared values of supporting the next generation of leaders.
- Innovative research that benefits communities around the world.
- 27 of the 34 Autonomy 5 members in Association of American Universities (AAU).
- 34 institutions ranked in the Top 100 national universities by US News & World Report.
- Broad-based athletic and academic programs.
- A long heritage of leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Over 27,000 student-athletes competing on 863 teams in 31 sports.
- A combined 1,038 NCAA Championships.
- Longstanding relationships across bowl partnerships, men’s and women’s basketball challenges and Olympic Sport events.
- 194 Olympic medals won in Tokyo by current, former, and future student-athletes.
- Some of the most iconic and historic venues in college sports.
- Hundreds of millions of dollars in direct annual institutional support of student-athlete scholarships.
- Over $15 billion in annual federal research support, nearly one-third of the total across all colleges and universities.