Delaware State Gets the Title IX Bill for Equestrian: $1.1 Million and Counting

Yesterday, a judge in Delaware approved the settlement agreement between Delaware State University and the members of the school's equestrian team in a suit that began a little less than a year ago. If you're interested in the history of the case, feel free to browse our archives, but what really caught my eye this morning was the price tag the school will have to pay to make this headache go away:

Under the agreement, the university will pay the team's attorney fees and court costs of about $500,000. DSU also has pledged to continue funding the team for the foreseeable future.

University leaders cut the team, along with men's tennis, in January, hoping to trim their athletic budget and funnel the savings into academics. The equestrian team costs about $600,000 per year to operate, DSU attorneys argued in court documents.

So, the first installment on the bill to keep equestrian totals about $1.1 million. Don't think for a second that a price tag like that won't encourage other schools to play it safe, and stick exclusively with cutting men's teams when they look to save money.