Duke University will add a softball team and increase to the maximum number of allowed athletic scholarships in women’s fencing, swimming, diving and track and field, the institution announced Monday. Reached for comment, a university spokesman attributed the decision to a number of factors, including “the opportunities that can be made available for student-athletes, facilities and services that will be necessary to create a positive experience for them, the competitive landscape (both in the [Atlantic Coast Conference] and nationally), financial implications, and Title IX.”
The Women’s Sports Foundation noted on its website that the organization began urging Duke to make changes a year ago in order to comply with Title IX. Hailing the decision as an "advocacy win," the foundation said it "will likely bring Duke into compliance with Title IX."