More Resources   Press Release on Commission for Opportunity in Athletics Meeting

Philadelphia, PA — Good morning to you all. After four very productive town hall meetings in Atlanta, Chicago, Colorado Springs and San Diego, we now meet in the City of Brotherly Love - the cradle of American liberty.

In that spirit, I want to thank our Commission chairs, Ted Leland and Cynthia Cooper, and all of the Commission members for your extraordinary sacrifice and contributions to public service. This panel represents some of the best minds on the subject of college athletics today -- outstanding coaches, educators, athletes and athletic directors.

Just imagine a job where you have to put on an event every week for 70,000 people. That's what athletic directors do. Not many management challenges in other businesses rise to that level.

So I thank you for your dedication and your patience throughout this process. Commissions such as this are a crucial part of our democratic process. It is in the give and take of public debate that we find common ground on issues that matter most.

And I'm grateful to each of you for taking time out of your lives to gather the facts and listen to what the American people have to say.

No doubt about it: This is a difficult issue - a fact made all the more clear in an excellent 60 Minutes piece on Sunday. Some of you weighed in on the complexities of this issue. And that debate highlighted the importance of ensuring that this good law - that represents hope to so many Americans -- is fairly enforced.

There we heard the perspectives of some people who believe our enforcement efforts have gone too far, some who believe they have not gone far enough, and still others who are just plain uncertain what our compliance standards are.

Your difficult charge is to examine and evaluate each of these perspectives in an orderly, thoughtful and public fashion. I know you have heard from more than 50 experts, including general counsels of major universities, athletes, civil rights lawyers and practitioners, and professors. You have heard from many citizens - in person at these meetings, and through e-mails and written statements.

All have provided valuable insight from many perspectives. Their testimony not only will inform your recommendations to me in January, but it speaks to why we are all here.

Not that long ago, we celebrated the 30^th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

Thanks to the vigorous enforcement of Title IX, as well as society's greater acceptance of women in the workplace and on the playing field, more women than ever are playing sports, graduating from college and pursuing their dreams. And as the father of twin daughters, President Bush is committed to building on these successes.

He put it best when he said: "Tremendous advances have been made in the fight for equality. But we must remain diligent in enforcing our nation's laws. And we still have work to do in this area."

The president and I care very deeply about how the American people feel about each question you are studying here. I know each of you feels that way, as well. So I look forward to reading what I am confident will be a well thought out report that reflects the voices of the people who have spoken. Those voices must be heard.

Our goal is to bring out the best efforts of all young people in our nation's schools - from kindergarten through college. We celebrate not only the success but also the spirit of Title IX that says, 'Open to all.' All girls and boys -- all women and men - in the classroom and on the playing field.

Again, the president and I are grateful for your service and for all that you will continue to do between now and January.

Now, just as you have listened for the past five months, I am here today to listen. So I will sit down now and do just that.

Thank you.

Top