At a time when college athletics programs increasingly prioritize revenue-generating sports like men’s football and basketball, the fight to protect opportunities for female athletes has never been more critical. A recent class action lawsuit against Concordia University Irvine (CUI) underscores the importance of holding schools accountable to Title IX—the landmark federal law requiring gender equity in education, including athletics. Speaking with an experienced Title IX attorney is often the first step in making that accountability real.
Nine female student-athletes at CUI filed a sex discrimination class action in federal court, challenging the school’s decision to eliminate the women’s swimming & diving and tennis teams. The lawsuit alleges that CUI is violating Title IX by depriving women of equal opportunities to compete in varsity sports—a right that has been protected for over 50 years.
“We are suing CUI because it refused to comply with Title IX, provide women with equal opportunities to participate in varsity sports, and preserve our teams unless we did,” said Alexandra Grant, a sophomore on the women’s swimming & diving team. “We wish it wasn’t necessary, but we are doing what all women faced with sex discrimination need to do: stand up and fight for our rights.”
Why This Case Matters
Title IX isn’t just a technicality—it’s the foundation of equal opportunity in college athletics. According to the most recent data reported by CUI itself, women make up nearly 59% of the undergraduate student body but receive only about 52% of athletic participation opportunities. To comply with the law, CUI would need to add roughly 100 opportunities for women—not cut existing teams.
Instead, the university announced plans to eliminate both the women’s and men’s swimming & diving and tennis teams, citing financial reasons. Yet, during the same period, the school invested millions in upgrading other facilities, including a new 19,000-square-foot weight room and over $7 million in improvements to baseball, softball, and soccer fields.
The message is clear: some programs—and the women who compete in them—are being left behind.
The Bigger Picture: A Growing Trend in College Athletics
Unfortunately, CUI’s actions reflect a troubling trend in higher education. Faced with budget pressures, many schools choose to protect high-profile, revenue-generating men’s sports at the expense of smaller programs, disproportionately affecting women athletes. When these cuts happen without ensuring gender equity, schools are not just making tough financial choices—they’re breaking the law, and that’s when the role of a **Title IX attorney** becomes essential.
Who’s Fighting for These Athletes?
The plaintiffs are represented by a strong legal team that includes lead counsel, Arthur Bryant of Arthur Bryant Law, P.C. in Oakland, CA, Eric Grover and Robert Spencer of Keller Grover LLP in San Francisco, CA, John Clune and Ashlyn Hare of Hutchinson, Black, and Cook in Boulder, CO, and Anne Andrews and Robert Siko of Andrews & Thornton in Newport Beach, CA—law firms with extensive experience in Title IX and gender equity litigation. These firms have a long history of holding institutions accountable when they fail to uphold the rights of women in education and sports.
What’s Next?
The athletes are seeking a court order to preserve their teams while the case proceeds. They’re not only fighting for their own opportunities but also for the principle that gender equity in sports cannot be sacrificed for convenience or cost-cutting.
As advocates for employee and consumer rights, we at Keller Grover know that change often comes when individuals take a stand. These athletes are doing exactly that—reminding schools across the country that Title IX still matters, and so do the women it was designed to protect.