Title IX of the Education Amendments Act prohibits sex discrimination in education programs that receive financial assistance from the federal government.

While the Title IX statute did not originally address or otherwise reference anything about sports, sports and athletes were the overwhelmingly dominant topic during the two-year comment period resulting in the U.S. Congress adding Section 844 of the Education Amendments Act of 1974 to include intercollegiate athletics as part of Title IX.

Title IX fundamentally increased athletic opportunities for women.