With a new administration poised to take over the executive branch next week, one of the hot topics among collegiate athletics circles is how President Obama – and his new education secretary – will oversee the enforcement of Title IX within athletics programs.

Obama has said little about Title IX beyond a lengthy statement released on the law’s 36th birthday in June 2008.

“When I’m president, I’ll fight to make sure our female students have equal opportunities from pre-kindergarten all the way through graduate school. I will strengthen Title IX enforcement at the Department of Education … And I will direct my Department of Education to help schools take steps to fulfill their Title IX obligations in both the sports and academic arenas,” the statement said. “I am the father of two young girls who are growing up playing sports and who are beneficiaries of the doors Title IX opened.”

Virginia law professor George Rutherglen said he doesn’t see Obama backing away from the law.

“The Obama administration would not support any change that would loosen the restrictions in Title IX,” Rutherglen said. “They certainly wouldn’t lend their support to relaxing the enforcement of Title IX. Whether they would go further and enforce Title IX more vigorously, at least with respect to athletics, would depend upon the particular issue.”

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