Female students sue over sports

They want to stop the university from dropping three varsity sports.
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (AP) -- A dozen female Slippery Rock University students want a federal judge to stop the school from cutting three women's varsity sports.
The university in January announced it was cutting eight sports to save $350,000, as part of an effort to erase a $2 million budget shortfall.
But the women who filed suit Tuesday in Pittsburgh said the school's plan to cut women's water polo, swimming and field hockey violates Title IX, a law requiring schools that receive federal money to provide equal opportunities for women in sports.
All freshmen and sophomores
The plaintiffs include freshmen and sophomores who chose Slippery Rock because of the sports programs they offered.
The university also plans to cut men's swimming, water polo, golf, wrestling and tennis after this school year.
The school argued the cuts are fair and necessary to save money, although Slippery Rock administrators may reinstate field hockey to ensure Title IX compliance, said Ross Feltz, the university's director of public relations.
The school may keep field hockey because it already has a field for that sport. Keeping the water sports is not being reconsidered because the university's pool needs renovations that would cost more than $1 million, Feltz said.
If field hockey is retained, Slippery Rock would offer nine women's sports and seven for men. Though women have a greater number of sports teams, the lawsuit contends that the school has "failed to give their female athletes substantially equal treatment in coaching and training, equipment and supplies, publicity, promotional materials and events, transportation, uniforms, playing fields, locker rooms and other facilities."
No additions in nine years
The lawsuit said the school has not added a women's sports team in nine years.
Sports were the last programs considered for cuts after the school eliminated 20 percent of its administrative positions, dropped or combined other programs, and developed plans to cut energy costs, Feltz said.
Slippery Rock, with an enrollment of about 1,100, is one of 14 state-owned universities.
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