Florida State’s Refusal to Elevate Women’s Lacrosse to Varsity Status Prompts Title IX Allegations

By Ellen J. Staurowsky, Ed.D., Senior Writer, and Professor, Sports Media, Roy H. Park School of Communications, Ithaca College The question of whether Florida State University (FSU) can successfully argue it is in compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is an open one at the moment. On July 7, 2023, Sophia Villalonga, a second-year graduate student who is a member of the FSU women’s lacrosse team petitioned athletics administrators on behalf of herself and her team