Sports funding for Stephen F. Austin University's female teams temporarily ceased due to a Title IX lawsuit, yet a judge issued an injunction halting the decision.
The Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) has been ordered to maintain its women's beach volleyball, bowling, and golf teams, following a preliminary injunction issued by a federal judge. The decision comes as a response to an emergency motion submitted by six female athletes, challenging the university's decision to cut these teams for the 2025–2026 academic year.
The lawsuit, filed on June 30, 2025, asserts that the university fails to meet all three requirements of the Office for Civil Rights' (OCR) three-part Title IX compliance test. These requirements include proportionality of opportunities for female athletes, history and continuing practice of expanding opportunities for the underrepresented sex, and effective accommodation of the interests and abilities of female athletes.
U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale, in his ruling, emphasized that money cannot override gender equity laws. He found that the plaintiffs demonstrated they would suffer irreparable harm without an injunction, rejecting SFA’s claims that the harm was speculative or self-inflicted. The timeline shows the legal challenge was timely, initiated soon after the university's May 2025 announcement.
SFA has up to 30 days to appeal the injunction order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, meaning the legal battle may continue. The university has not yet addressed its compliance with the "continuing practice" prong of the Title IX compliance test.
In a statement, Attorney Arthur Bryant, co-counsel for the plaintiffs, described the injunction as a "huge victory for the women athletes at SFA and everyone who cares about gender equity." Judge Truncale was not persuaded by the university's arguments regarding low interest in the sports.
The university had initially argued that it satisfied the third prong by effectively accommodating the interests of female athletes, citing low interest in bowling and beach volleyball among college athletes, particularly in Texas. However, the judge noted that these programs were not considered when the decision was made to eliminate the varsity teams.
A supplemental report by plaintiffs' expert Donna Lopiano concluded that even including cheer and dance, the university still failed to provide women with athletic opportunities proportional to their representation in the student body. The university contended that including its club competitive cheer and dance teams in its count would bring it into compliance with Title IX, but this point was not addressed in the ruling.
The University of Texas at Dallas, which recently transitioned from Division III to Division II, and the University of Texas System's Stephen F. Austin State University joined two years ago, have also faced criticism over gender equity in sports. The university's decision to reverse a decision to eliminate its men's and women's track & field and cross country programs, citing feedback from "our community" and the leadership of the UT System, may serve as a warning to other universities considering cuts to women's sports while opting into the House v. NCAA settlement.
This ongoing lawsuit underscores the importance of Title IX protections in ensuring gender equity in education and athletics. The court's decision to enforce these protections while the case is decided is a significant step towards upholding these principles.
- In light of the court's decision, an analysis of SFA's compliance with Title IX in terms of education and self-development, focusing on the continuity of women's beach volleyball, bowling, and golf teams, is necessary to ensure gender equity.
- The ongoing lawsuit between SFA and six female athletes serves as a reminder that sports, particularly women's sports, should not be cut based solely on low interest or financial reasons, as it goes against the spirit of promoting gender equity and the principles set by Title IX.
