ORLANDO, Fla.
The WNBA was the only major professional league to receive top marks in
a comprehensive study this week comparing opportunities for women and
minorities across five sports.
The University of Central Florida study examined the front office,
support staff, playing and coaching opportunities for women and
minorities in professional football, basketball, baseball and soccer,
along with colleges. Despite improvements in the NBA, Major League
Baseball and the MLS, women’s basketball received the only A overall in
researcher Richard Lapchick’s report card.
“There’s been a general improvement in the leagues over a period of
time,” Lapchick said. “I think the glaring gaps are at the college
level at what are considered to be the top positions,” he said.
Lapchick said all 11 Division I-A conference commissioners were White
and just three out of 117 coaches in the division were Black.
Though minority players made up about three-quarters of NBA and NFL
rosters, only the NBA, which has three Black presidents and CEOs, was
awarded an A for race among men’s leagues. Baseball maintained its B+
for race, but college and soccer lost slightly overall.
The grades were calculated by comparing percentages of minorities and
women in the country to percentages on teams and in sports management.
