Dr. Martha McGrath-Brown, assistant professor of sports management at Westminster College, is playing a key role in the latest update of the landmark Acosta–Carpenter Report, a longitudinal study documenting the participation and leadership of women in NCAA athletics. 

Originally launched in 1977 by Brooklyn College professors Vivian Acosta and Linda Carpenter, the report set the standard for measuring gender equity in intercollegiate sports for nearly 40 years. It documented both the progress made following Title IX and significant setbacks, most notably the decline in women head coaches from over 90% in 1972 to 46% by 2014.

McGrath-Brown is part of a five-member research team responsible for “Women in NCAA Intercollegiate Athletics: The Legacy Revisited,” a continuation of the landmark study last published in 2014. The project was conducted in partnership with The Collective Think Tank, a global research consortium that unites scholars, practitioners and cultural leaders to advance equity for women across sport, entertainment and society.

The report continues the Think Tank’s commitment to designing systems in which women’s contributions to athletics, academics and the broader economy are visible, valued and supported. McGrath-Brown collaborates with fellow scholars including Dr. Jacqueline McDowell of George Mason University, Barbara Osborne of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Shannon Kerwin of Brock University (Canada) and Dr. Janelle E. Wells of the University of South Florida.

The update, released Feb. 24, draws on required federal reports and NCAA participation data, analyzing over 1,000 schools across all three NCAA divisions to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date picture of women’s participation, coaching and leadership in college athletics.

“This research is vital because it shows where progress has been made and where intentional action is still needed to achieve equity in women’s collegiate athletics,” said McGrath-Brown. “My colleagues and I had hoped to see more positive momentum, especially given the surge in popularity of women’s sports in recent years. Unfortunately, that visibility hasn’t yet translated into greater participation or closed the coaching gap. I believe equity is achievable, but it will require a collective effort from everyone—men and women alike—to do the work needed to get there.”

While the study confirms women have accounted for roughly 43% of NCAA varsity athletes since the 1990s, they remain underrepresented relative to their presence on campus, where women make up 55% of the student body. Women now hold nearly six in 10 paid assistant coaching positions, creating a strong pipeline for future head coaches. However, on men’s teams, 94 out of every 100 coaches are men, leaving women with less than 1% of full-time coaching positions. Overall, the report emphasizes that continued progress for women in college sports will require intentional design—not momentum alone.

McGrath-Brown said continuing the study is critical because it provides clear evidence of persistent inequities in college athletics.

“Right now, data are the clearest receipts we have to show the world that the disparities between men's and women's collegiate athletics and coaching continue to exist,” she said.

McGrath-Brown said the research also matters for the athletes whose opportunities are still limited by those disparities. She pointed to examples such as girls who must play on boys’ teams because their schools do not offer a girls’ program, or athletes who wish they had women coaches who better understand their experiences.

“Girls and women should be able to go and play their sport at the competitive level they wish to, just like the boys and men do,” she said.

McGrath-Brown, who joined the Westminster faculty in 2023, earned her undergraduate degree from Taylor University, her master’s from Slippery Rock University and her Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. 

To view the full report, visit www.wearethecollective.com/women-ncaa-revisited.

For additional information, please contact McGrath-Brown at mcgratmc@westminster.edu.

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By Betsy Fontaine Hildebrand ’92
Betsy Fontaine Hildebrand ’92 is the director of communication in Westminster College's Office of Marketing and Communication.

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