Dr. Donna Lopiano is currently the president of Sports Management Resources, a firm she founded that advises school and college athletic departments through the experience of former sports directors. Lopiano also served for 18 years as the University of Texas at Austin Director of Women’s Athletics, was past-president of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women and served as an Assistant Professor and Assistant Athletic Director at Brooklyn College.
The former CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation was recently named one of “The 10 Most Powerful Women in Sports”; which is only one title of many she has earned during her career.
SME sat down with Dr. Lopiano to discuss her thoughts on women’s sports, Title IX, the recent shifts in NCAA conferences and a boat that bears her name.
SME1Q:
You’ve worked extensively with Title IX. This year, the U.S. Department of Education reversed a Bush-era policy that changed some guidelines under the law. What is the largest misconception of the law, in your opinion?
Unfortunately, while progress on Title IX has been good, opportunities for women's sports participation are well short of gender equity. In difficult financial times, schools are funneling new money to men's football and basketball while also cutting minor men's sports and also funneling that money to men's football and basketball -- participating in an impossible "arms race" - shortchanging both men's minor sports and women who would like to play. While men's football and basketball are causing men's minor sports teams to be dropped, the misconception is that the public thinks that Title IX is the cause. In Division I of the NCAA, the richest colleges and universities, 78% of the men's sports budget is spent on football and basketball.
SME2Q:
USC was sanctioned by the NCAA for a “lack of institutional control” and they have a tough road ahead in terms of building the stature of their program. As President of SMR, what is your first recommendation for repairing the brand?
In any public relations crisis, the first step is to tell the truth. Second, is to accept responsibility and third is to have a credible figure express how the situation will be addressed and what systems will ensure that it will never happen again.
SME3Q:
College football has been in the news lately for the multiple conference realignments. Great news for football revenue, but what are your thoughts on how this impacts Olympic sports, more specifically, women’s sports?
Conference realignments are a function of the men's football/basketball "arms race". I don't see increased revenues going to men's minor sports or women's sports. Rather, it will continue to fuel excessive football and basketball expenditures.
SME4Q:
Corporate logos on uniforms- works for NASCAR, but unorthodox in basketball. Yet the WNBA is embracing it. How or will this affect the brand?
Professional sport is a commercial activity. We should not be surprised at this occurrence. NASCAR hasn't suffered and neither should the WNBA.
SME5Q:
The University of Texas crew team competes in a boat named “The Donna A. Lopiano,” what does that mean to you?
Texas is a great institution. I spent 18 years there building the program. Of course, I was totally honored and I also attended the naming ceremony. I hope it's a fast boat that wins a lot of races and of course, one that never sinks! What was most meaningful was meeting the 80 women rowers who were benefiting from the program. Those opportunities were the result of many years of professional effort. It's great to see something you are passionate about become a reality.