Welcome to the Pipeline Project blog! Thanks for joining us on our journey to bring awareness to women in the intercollegiate athletics workforce. We hope our blog keeps the conversation going and continues to bring about positive change and growth for all women in the sport industry. Now, for the blog….
Recently, an article referred to the growth and popularity of women’s sports in 2024 as a renaissance. Let’s take a moment to dissect that word – renaissance. When we consider the definition of the term, it is often coined as a revival of or renewed interest in something. The record-breaking performances of women athletes to the record investments of people, corporations, and communities no doubt have signaled a renewed interest in women’s sports. As we consider the renewed interest in women’s sports, particularly at the collegiate level, it is also imperative we also placed a renewed interest on women working in intercollegiate athletics. Here’s why:
- Companies with more women in executive roles generated 21% higher profitability;
- Companies with diverse leadership are 33% more likely to attract top talent;
- And, companies with a women in leadership roles not only attract, but retain top talent.
But it’s not just about women in executive roles. Investing in women at all levels (entry, middle-management) of intercollegiate athletics helps create organizational capacity, contributes to innovation and creativity, and promotes an environment that fosters and attracts top talent.
As we consider higher margins of profitability, lower turnover rates, and the importance of building organizational capacity and leadership, we must recognize that hiring, retaining, and promoting women in intercollegiate athletics is pivotal to our industry. This is particularly true as athletic departments contend with new legislation (House v NCAA), new organizational structures and personnel (e.g., NIL, legal, human resources, team general managers), and an ever-evolving financial structure that is both empowered and constrained in the context of higher education.
To help, in 2025, The Pipeline Project will continue to build awareness of women’s representation in intercollegiate athletic administration through:
- Providing data, trends, and analysis on women at various levels of athletic administration;
- Expanding data sets to include all Division I institutions and conferences; and,
- Sharing existing research from scholars and practitioner to support athletic administrators and industry leaders in developing professional learning and development opportunities.
- Utilizing The Pipeline Blog to highlight work in the field, share specific insights from data, and to keep the conversation going
Let’s circle back to that term, renaissance. In historical terms, the Renaissance was an era of “rebirth” in learning and culture. People got curious about ideas and started thinking about the world in new ways. It was a time of invention, creativity, education, and innovation, shaping much of the modern world we know today. Not only are women’s sports experiencing a renaissance, but college athletics is, too. Now is the time to embrace the era with women in mind, not on the periphery. The Pipeline Project wants to harness the renaissance of women’s sports so that it is not just a revival for women athletes, but also women leaders.
The Pipeline Project 