UTSA caps off Women’s History Month with national speaker on the history of Title IX

Victoria Jackson's lecture, "Fifty Years of Title IX: The Past, Present, and Future of Women’s College Sports," is a part of Women's History Month.

MARCH 28, 2022 — UTSA Athletics and the UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA) will host sports historian Victoria Jackson from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, at the Retama Auditorium in the Student Union, (SU 2.02.02). Jackson’s lecture, “Fifty Years of Title IX: The Past, Present, and Future of Women’s College Sports,” will be a discussion on the positive impact of Title IX on women’s sports.

The event serves as a capstone for Women’s History Month at UTSA, which has featured guest speakers from across the nation, historical sessions celebrating successes in the field of women’s rights and interactive discussions that have encouraged dialogue in safe, productive environments.

“The last 50 years, with the passing of Title IX in 1972, has brought tremendous opportunity to girls and women, particularly in sports,” said UTSA Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Lisa Campos. “Title IX is not specific to sports, but that is what it is mainly known for. After the passing of Title IX, we have seen the number of women participating (in sports) grow exponentially. Dr. Jackson is such a leader in this space, and to host someone of her caliber is really exciting. This is an incredible opportunity for the UTSA community to learn from her research and study of Title IX.”

“Dr. Jackson is such a leader in this space, and to host someone of her caliber is really exciting.”

Jackson is a clinical assistant professor of history in the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies at Arizona State University. She writes and speaks about the intersection of sports and society, exploring how the games we play (and watch) tell us about the communities—local, national and global—in which we live.  

Jackson brings a historian's eye to the project of designing future sports systems that are inclusive, equitable, and just. She is currently writing a book on power and privilege in American college sports, connecting race and gender justice issues through stories of athlete activism.

Her writing has appeared in several newspapers around the world, including Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Slate. Mexico’s Letras Libres and  El Universal, Brazil’s Epoca the U.K.’S The Independent have also featured Jackson’s work.

Jackson’s upcoming lecture is representative of Campos’ commitment to offering more opportunities to help enrich the UTSA community and assist in the development of our athletes.

“We have a student athlete development department that partners all across campus to provide our student athletes with development opportunities, including guest speakers, workshops, and trainings. Stefanie Cisneros who runs that department, does an incredible job of reaching across campus and finding different faculty to come present specifically to student athletes.” said Campos. “We hope that this event with Dr. Jackson will be one of many offered annually not only to our athletes, but the entire community.”

Campos, who was recently named one of five finalists for the Sports Business Journal’s Athletic Director of the Year, currently serves as chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee and she also sits on the NCAA Division I Council, a high-level group responsible for the day-to-day decision-making for Division I.

She also led a campus-wide collaboration with Brenda Tracy, a sexual assault survivor, public speaker and founder of the national campaign and nonprofit, #SetTheExpectation. Their work led to UTSA becoming the first university in the nation to implement the Tracy Rule, the most comprehensive rule in the NCAA targeting serious misconduct.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is not necessary for those attending in person. Jackson’s lecture will also be streamed live via Zoom.

— Nick Ward