WEBVTT - Gentle Threats with Maggie Munson and Stef Strack 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:03.080 Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're wondering 0:00:03.120 --> 0:00:06.600 if Simone Augustus is still holding out her hands for 0:00:06.640 --> 0:00:09.959 that clipboard. If you didn't see the Kim Maulky temper 0:00:10.039 --> 0:00:12.240 tantrum moment from the weekend, we'll link tu ite in 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:15.280 our show notes. It's Tuesday, February fourth. Then on today's 0:00:15.280 --> 0:00:17.680 show will be chatting with Boys and Sports Steph Strack 0:00:17.760 --> 0:00:21.240 and Wisconsin cross country and track athlete Maggie Munson about 0:00:21.239 --> 0:00:23.720 the bill they're reintroducing in Congress this week, what it 0:00:23.760 --> 0:00:25.960 takes to fight for Title LAIN enforcement, and how you 0:00:26.000 --> 0:00:28.880 can help support the changes they're fighting for. Plus Oklahoma 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:32.159 Softball goes national, the start of a new franchise player era, 0:00:32.479 --> 0:00:35.240 and the potential return of a comment It's all coming 0:00:35.320 --> 0:00:44.760 up right after this Welcome back slices. Here's what you 0:00:44.800 --> 0:00:49.520 need to know today to the WNBA, the ownership group 0:00:49.520 --> 0:00:52.279 of the Philadelphia seventy six ers of the MNBA has 0:00:52.280 --> 0:00:54.920 submitted a bid to bring a WNBA team to the city. 0:00:55.200 --> 0:00:57.760 We've heard a lot of rumblings of a potential Philly 0:00:57.920 --> 0:01:01.720 WNBA team in the last year. Made it official, and 0:01:01.760 --> 0:01:04.399 that's not all folks. The Athletic also reported that the 0:01:04.440 --> 0:01:07.960 owner of the Houston Rockets has submitted a bid. It's 0:01:07.959 --> 0:01:10.480 shaping up to be a competitive contest for the league's 0:01:10.560 --> 0:01:15.800 sixteenth team, with Nashville, Detroit, Charlotte, Austin, and Denver also 0:01:15.840 --> 0:01:19.119 in the conversation, WNBA is already expanding to the Bay 0:01:19.120 --> 0:01:22.080 Area this year and Toronto and Portland in twenty twenty six. 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:26.520 To soccer and the continued fallout following Spain's twenty twenty 0:01:26.520 --> 0:01:29.480 three World Cup win, the trial for former Spain football 0:01:29.520 --> 0:01:32.760 boss Luis Rubialis began on Monday. He faces up to 0:01:32.840 --> 0:01:35.360 four years in prison if he's found guilty of assault 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:37.960 and coercion. On the first day of the trial, World 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.160 Cup winner Jenny Hermoso testified, saying that she did not 0:01:41.319 --> 0:01:43.160 consent to the kiss that is at the center of 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:45.640 the charges. Quote. I think it was a moment that 0:01:45.720 --> 0:01:48.440 tainted one of the happiest days of my life end quote. 0:01:48.720 --> 0:01:51.840 The judges also indicated that former Spain women's coach and 0:01:52.000 --> 0:01:56.360 current Morocco coach Jorge Wilda, along with other Federation officials, 0:01:56.440 --> 0:01:59.480 should stand trial for their role in pressuring Hermoso to 0:01:59.480 --> 0:02:02.680 defend us following the World Cup. The trial is expected 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:05.080 to last through February nineteenth. Will keep you updated as 0:02:05.120 --> 0:02:08.960 it progresses to softball. USA Softball announced on Monday that 0:02:09.000 --> 0:02:11.200 Patty Gasso has been named head coach of the national 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:13.320 team for the twenty twenty five to twenty twenty eight 0:02:13.400 --> 0:02:16.040 quadrennal that, of course, includes the twenty twenty eight Los 0:02:16.080 --> 0:02:19.120 Angeles Olympics. While Gaso is the seventh woman to lead 0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:21.840 the US softball national team at any time, she will 0:02:21.880 --> 0:02:25.320 become the first female head coach of the US Olympic team. 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:28.080 Gaso has been head coach of the University of Oklahoma 0:02:28.080 --> 0:02:32.480 team for thirty seasons, winning eight national titles. She'll continue 0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:35.480 in that role while balancing her new Team USA responsibilities. 0:02:35.960 --> 0:02:38.760 Also worth remembering, Oklahoma's Devin Park, which is the host 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:41.040 of the College World Series every year, will also be 0:02:41.080 --> 0:02:44.320 the site of the twenty twenty eight Olympic Tournament. In 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:47.440 athletes in limited news, AU Pro Hoops Season four starts 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:50.560 tomorrow after season three in Dallas, Texas. This year's four 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:52.840 week stretch of five on five Runs will take place 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:55.680 in Nashville, Tennessee for the first time, and there's a 0:02:55.680 --> 0:02:58.200 new way to tune in on opening night, five bars 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:02.000 across the country are hosting Watchpark for fans. Participating bars 0:03:02.040 --> 0:03:04.800 include watch Me Sports Bar in Long Beach, California, the 0:03:04.840 --> 0:03:08.800 Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, Rough and Tumble in Seattle, Washington, 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:12.119 the ninety nine Ers Sports Bar in Denver, Colorado, and 0:03:12.200 --> 0:03:15.120 a bar of their own in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There are 0:03:15.160 --> 0:03:17.400 two games on opening night, tipping off at six pm 0:03:17.440 --> 0:03:19.799 and eight thirty pm Eastern. So if you're in any 0:03:19.840 --> 0:03:22.320 of those cities I just listed, go catch the action 0:03:22.440 --> 0:03:24.480 with some friends, and if you don't have any friends 0:03:24.480 --> 0:03:27.119 to go with, go make some new ones. AU's post 0:03:27.120 --> 0:03:29.720 about the watch parties includes addresses for the five bars, 0:03:29.720 --> 0:03:31.360 so we'll link to that in our show notes, and 0:03:31.440 --> 0:03:36.400 we'll link to the full AU Pro Hoops schedule. All right, y'all, 0:03:36.400 --> 0:03:39.680 we're still recovering from those huge WNBA free agency moves 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:41.960 over the weekend, but with the dust settling a bit, 0:03:42.000 --> 0:03:44.000 we wanted to share a wild stat with all of you, 0:03:44.280 --> 0:03:46.680 so producer Alex called in some help from across the 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:49.760 timeline for this one. We were curious, with so many 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:52.960 franchise players on the move, which WNBA player has now 0:03:53.040 --> 0:03:55.640 been with the same team for the longest time. The 0:03:55.760 --> 0:03:57.560 name at the top of that list since Sue Byrd 0:03:57.560 --> 0:04:00.480 retired is Diana Tarassi, who's played for the fe Mercury 0:04:00.560 --> 0:04:03.880 since getting drafted in two thousand and four, meaning that 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:06.200 Gal's been wearing purple and orange since this year's draft 0:04:06.200 --> 0:04:10.080 class was wearing diapers. If DT comes back, she'll stay 0:04:10.120 --> 0:04:13.680 on top, but if she retires, here's where it gets interesting. 0:04:14.160 --> 0:04:16.359 So up until last week, the next names on the 0:04:16.400 --> 0:04:19.400 list were, in order, Britney Griner, who'd been with the 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:22.760 Mercury since twenty thirteen, Alyssa Thomas who'd been with the 0:04:22.800 --> 0:04:26.480 Sun since twenty fourteen, Jewel Lloyd with the Storm since 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:30.240 twenty fifteen, Kelsey Plum with the Aces since twenty seventeen, 0:04:30.480 --> 0:04:32.800 and Brianna Jones who'd been with the Sun also since 0:04:32.839 --> 0:04:36.239 twenty seventeen. You might remember from our free agency recap, 0:04:36.360 --> 0:04:39.039 all five of those franchise players are moving on to 0:04:39.120 --> 0:04:42.039 new teams. And then there's a Lena Deladon. This is 0:04:42.040 --> 0:04:44.880 an interesting one. She's been loyal to the Mystics since 0:04:44.880 --> 0:04:47.800 twenty seventeen, but she's missed a bunch of seasons, so 0:04:47.880 --> 0:04:50.719 her availability has been inconsistent. And then she skipped last 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:53.240 season with no word yet on whether she plans to 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:57.719 come back. So who's the current planning to play this year? 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:02.080 Longest tenured player at one team. That brings us to 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:05.560 the new guard of franchise players Indiana's Kelsey Mitchell, Las 0:05:05.640 --> 0:05:10.080 Vegas Is Asia Wilson, Washington's Ariel Atkins, and Seattle's Mercedes Russell, 0:05:10.160 --> 0:05:13.320 who have all been with their current team since twenty eighteen. Now, 0:05:13.400 --> 0:05:15.640 Russell is technically a free agent, but the other three 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:17.520 of all signed contracts that will bring them back for 0:05:17.600 --> 0:05:22.760 an eighth straight season this year. So congrats on that achievement, Asia, Kelsey, 0:05:22.839 --> 0:05:27.560 and Ariel and maybe Mercedes, unless, of course, DT comes back, 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:29.159 and then we'll see you back here in another decade 0:05:29.200 --> 0:05:31.480 or two. Shout out to across the timeline for the 0:05:31.480 --> 0:05:33.360 assist on this one. If you don't already follow them 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:35.640 on all of the platforms, what are you waiting for? 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:38.120 We'll link to their accounts in the show notes. We're 0:05:38.160 --> 0:05:39.880 going to take a quick break. When we come back, 0:05:39.960 --> 0:05:42.120 we chat with Stephan Maggie about how to call out 0:05:42.200 --> 0:05:53.240 title nine BS stick around joining us now. She's the 0:05:53.240 --> 0:05:56.279 founder and CEO of Voice in Sport, a digital platform 0:05:56.400 --> 0:05:58.880 keeping girls and women in sport and elevating their voices 0:05:58.920 --> 0:06:02.280 and the Voice in Sport Foundation, a global nonprofit supercharging 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:05.160 sports science and research and advocating for equality. She has 0:06:05.200 --> 0:06:07.560 over eighteen years of experience at the intersection of sports, 0:06:07.600 --> 0:06:10.520 lifestyle and technology, spending fourteen plus years at Nike and 0:06:10.600 --> 0:06:12.240 some time at Rag and Bone, where she served as 0:06:12.240 --> 0:06:14.760 a board member and CEO. Over the last few years, 0:06:14.839 --> 0:06:17.040 she and the Viz Advocates, a group of young women 0:06:17.040 --> 0:06:19.800 in high school and college, have tackled Title nine reform 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:22.680 and successfully become a leading voice on Capitol Hill. Her 0:06:22.760 --> 0:06:25.600 commutes to DC are long because she lives in Alaska. 0:06:26.080 --> 0:06:29.120 It's Steph Strack and joining her. She's a track and 0:06:29.160 --> 0:06:31.640 cross country athlete at Wisconsin, running the six hundred meters 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:34.039 eight hundred meters mile on steeplechase and the five and 0:06:34.080 --> 0:06:36.839 six k and cross. A five time academic All Big 0:06:36.880 --> 0:06:40.040 Ten honoree, and UW Voice and Sport Chapter President. She 0:06:40.080 --> 0:06:43.000 cliff dives bike rides and speaks on Capitol Hill. It's 0:06:43.000 --> 0:06:46.000 Maggie Munson. Hey, Maggie, Hi, thank you so much for 0:06:46.040 --> 0:06:49.160 having me. Maggie, what's the six hundred meters We didn't 0:06:49.200 --> 0:06:50.200 have that in my day. 0:06:50.520 --> 0:06:53.880 Oh well, that's an indoor only event for the big ten. 0:06:54.040 --> 0:06:56.040 So if you're on a two hundred meter track, it's 0:06:57.120 --> 0:06:59.800 three laps and it's basically an all out four hundred 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:01.880 and then you keep going for another two hundred. 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:04.279 No thank you. I was a college track athlete and 0:07:04.279 --> 0:07:05.520 I'm like, I don't know what the hell the six 0:07:05.640 --> 0:07:08.160 hundred meters is, but congrats to you, and no, thank 0:07:08.200 --> 0:07:12.480 you that one. Thanks so much for joining. I want 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:14.760 to start local and then get national. So let's get 0:07:14.800 --> 0:07:18.679 to Wisconsin. Maggie. University of Wisconsin recently celebrated fifty years 0:07:18.720 --> 0:07:20.760 of women's track and field, one of the most successful 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:24.720 programs on campus, but now there's potential Title nine compliance issues. 0:07:24.840 --> 0:07:27.280 There's a proposal for a two hundred and eighty five 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:31.200 million dollar Camp Randall Sports Center redevelopment project, and in 0:07:31.200 --> 0:07:33.800 the original letter of intent from the university, they promised 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:36.040 that they would deliver facilities for track and field and 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:39.560 cross country on par with the peer institutions. But the 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:42.880 current plans are definitely prioritizing the football team and not 0:07:43.040 --> 0:07:46.000 giving equitable training and competition resources to track and field 0:07:46.000 --> 0:07:48.280 and cross country. So tell us how you first heard 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:51.520 about this project and how it's affecting your team. Yeah. 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:54.560 Absolutely. So we used to practice in an indoor track. 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:57.320 It was a two hundred meter track and we called 0:07:57.360 --> 0:08:00.960 it the Shell. And we've known for years that the 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:04.080 shell was going to be torn down. It was over 0:08:04.120 --> 0:08:07.240 seventy years old, getting pretty dusty, and it didn't hold 0:08:07.320 --> 0:08:12.720 up compared to incredible indoor facilities at Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, 0:08:13.640 --> 0:08:15.280 and so we knew that we were going to get 0:08:15.280 --> 0:08:18.320 a new indoor track, but what the university is currently 0:08:18.360 --> 0:08:22.000 offering would actually be a step back. The track that 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:25.320 they're proposing is not intended to be a competition venue, 0:08:25.640 --> 0:08:28.120 and we've been hosting our home meets in Chicago, so 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:31.120 it's about a three hour drive from campus to home meet. 0:08:31.400 --> 0:08:34.440 We lose out on a lot of those hometown supporters. 0:08:35.520 --> 0:08:39.120 And the proposed facility also would not offer spaces for 0:08:39.240 --> 0:08:44.120 high jump and pole vault, and offering no facilities for 0:08:44.360 --> 0:08:47.319 events that we sponsor and the ones that we are 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:50.880 good at. We just had a heptathlete win the Big 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:53.520 Ten title and high jump is a part of that 0:08:53.679 --> 0:08:57.880 and I think that it's a shame to decrease those 0:08:57.880 --> 0:09:01.280 facilities and elevate those for football when we have a 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:02.760 proven record of success. 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:06.920 Yeah, your facility was already demolished. So where are you 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:07.720 practicing now? 0:09:08.559 --> 0:09:14.120 Yeah, so it was torn down in early fall, and 0:09:14.600 --> 0:09:17.760 we did not have anywhere to go up to the 0:09:17.840 --> 0:09:20.079 end of last semester. And Wisconsin gets pretty cold in 0:09:20.120 --> 0:09:25.160 the winter. As a distance runner, we can run outside, 0:09:25.200 --> 0:09:29.600 but sprinters in twenty degrees is just not feasible. 0:09:29.679 --> 0:09:33.439 That's not long jarp in frozen sand, right. 0:09:33.440 --> 0:09:39.440 Exactly, exactly, So we do. We were practicing at University 0:09:39.480 --> 0:09:42.319 of Wisconsin Whitewater, which is about forty five minutes away, 0:09:42.880 --> 0:09:45.199 for the first few weeks of January, and then our 0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:50.040 alums graciously donated a warehouse facility in Lodi, Wisconsin, which 0:09:50.080 --> 0:09:53.600 is forty minutes from campus. We have a good setup 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:56.480 in there, but I mean, it's not ideal to have 0:09:56.559 --> 0:09:59.120 to travel forty minutes each way in the middle of 0:09:59.120 --> 0:09:59.880 a busy semester. 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:04.120 Not at all. And I'm looking at the planned new 0:10:04.280 --> 0:10:07.920 track the drawing of it. It's a recreational running path 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:11.080 above a football field. It's what you'd get at a 0:10:11.200 --> 0:10:14.480 gym in a city where there isn't enough space. So 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:16.920 they're stacking things on top of each other. That's not 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:20.200 remotely a facility that you could practice in. Is that 0:10:20.720 --> 0:10:23.240 what they're showing you as the ultimate end goal for 0:10:23.320 --> 0:10:24.439 what you guys would use. 0:10:25.040 --> 0:10:25.719 As of right now? 0:10:25.800 --> 0:10:29.480 Yes, I want everyone to picture this. It's literally like 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:33.400 one of those things that race walkers or like old 0:10:33.400 --> 0:10:35.760 people get their laps in and get their steps in 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:39.320 along the top of something that it doesn't have anything 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:42.840 in the middle. It's just like a balcony basically overlooking 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:44.559 a field where the football players would get all the 0:10:44.559 --> 0:10:48.199 good stuff. This is like so infuriating. So Steph, beyond this, 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:51.200 which we know is not okay, can you tell us 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:53.160 what data you have to back up your argument that 0:10:53.200 --> 0:10:55.960 Wisconsin might be in violation in other ways of Title nine? 0:10:56.880 --> 0:10:57.080 Yeah? 0:10:57.120 --> 0:10:57.520 Absolutely. 0:10:57.600 --> 0:11:00.199 Unfortunately, this is not just a local issue at the 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:02.760 University of Wisconsin. This is a national issue that we're 0:11:02.760 --> 0:11:05.360 seeing across all of our chapters at Voice and Sport, 0:11:06.160 --> 0:11:07.920 and it's why we've written the Fair Play for Women 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:09.800 Act is really to try to get after the real 0:11:09.840 --> 0:11:14.160 issues that women are facing at college institutions, and Wisconsin's 0:11:14.200 --> 0:11:18.080 a great example. She's talking about equitable treatment across facilities 0:11:18.120 --> 0:11:20.160 which is one thing we look at when we're looking 0:11:20.200 --> 0:11:24.160 at Title nine and Title nine violations. But the other areas. 0:11:24.200 --> 0:11:28.480 The other two areas are around participation opportunities for women 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:33.000 athletes at schools, and there needs to be proportional participation 0:11:33.040 --> 0:11:37.160 opportunities for girls and boys. And the second is scholarship 0:11:37.200 --> 0:11:41.480 opportunities and that needs to be proportionally equitable for girls 0:11:41.559 --> 0:11:45.920 and boys. So unfortunately, when we look at the EADA data, 0:11:46.040 --> 0:11:48.880 which is public, anybody can go look up their school. 0:11:48.640 --> 0:11:51.480 Which is Equity and Athletics Disclosure, right. 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:53.120 You can go to the website, you can look up 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:56.120 your school. You can calculate your numbers, and although it's 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:59.439 not used for titleline compliance, you can get a good 0:11:59.480 --> 0:12:01.640 idea of whther or not your school is likely in 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:04.760 a violation or not. So Maggie can speak to the 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:08.520 exact numbers here for Wisconsin, but both on the participation 0:12:08.720 --> 0:12:11.360 and scholarship side show that there is a gap for 0:12:11.440 --> 0:12:13.520 girls and women in sport at Wisconsin. 0:12:14.200 --> 0:12:16.839 Yeah, so what you're speaking to is this basically three 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:20.000 pillar system. To be in compliance with Title nine, you 0:12:20.040 --> 0:12:23.040 have to adhere to the three components. Accommodating student interest, 0:12:23.080 --> 0:12:26.800 which is opportunities to participate, proportional financial assistance, which is 0:12:26.840 --> 0:12:30.200 scholarships and things like that, and then equal benefits and opportunities. 0:12:30.280 --> 0:12:34.120 So tell us, Maggie, what we know about the scholarship 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:38.360 dollars and the participation opportunities at Wisconsin. Yeah. 0:12:38.360 --> 0:12:40.280 So the most recent data we have is from the 0:12:40.320 --> 0:12:43.520 twenty twenty two to twenty twenty three school year, and 0:12:43.559 --> 0:12:46.320 that shows a deficit of fifty three roster spots for 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:49.640 women and a loss of seven hundred and thirty eight 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:53.400 thousand scholarship dollars. And that's just in that one year. 0:12:53.679 --> 0:12:56.800 So if you have seven hundred thirty eight thousand one year, 0:12:56.960 --> 0:12:59.440 think of that, multiply the cross year after year. 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:02.880 Yeah, and just to remind people, Title nine is a law, 0:13:03.880 --> 0:13:07.040 but that doesn't mean everyone's following it. It is, in fact, 0:13:07.240 --> 0:13:11.280 very hard to get places to comply. During the fiftieth 0:13:11.320 --> 0:13:13.920 anniversary just a couple of years ago, there are these celebrations, 0:13:13.920 --> 0:13:15.720 but ultimately what it did is cause a lot of 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:17.880 us to dive deeper into the numbers and be like, well, shit, 0:13:18.480 --> 0:13:20.960 we're fifty years in and we're not even close to 0:13:21.000 --> 0:13:23.640 this being adhered too. So, Maggie, we know Title nine 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:26.079 compliance is willful and the only real way to get 0:13:26.080 --> 0:13:28.880 the Department of Education to recognize, see and then act 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:31.400 when schools are not abiding by the law is basically 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:33.800 to sue them or threaten to sue. So is that 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:35.839 your planner or are you trying other avenues to try 0:13:35.840 --> 0:13:36.640 to work with the school. 0:13:37.360 --> 0:13:40.480 I am working with the Wisconsin Athletic Department, and I 0:13:40.559 --> 0:13:43.000 want them to be able to choose the right decision 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:46.880 and advocate for women. But I also am very committed 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:49.400 to doing what it takes to ensure that title mine 0:13:49.480 --> 0:13:49.920 is followed. 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:53.199 God, that was the most badass threat I've ever heard, 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:55.880 so like nice and gentle, I would love for them. 0:13:55.920 --> 0:13:59.800 They have the opportunity to choose to not f around 0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:04.079 in find out, but I'm willing for that to happen. Steph. 0:14:04.120 --> 0:14:07.400 There's a petition to hold the university accountable to revise 0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:10.840 their current building plans. It has over six thousand signatures already. 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:13.560 Have you been able to or has anyone been able 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:15.959 to engage in meaningful conversations with the school or the 0:14:16.000 --> 0:14:17.240 stakeholders of this project. 0:14:17.600 --> 0:14:17.800 Yeah? 0:14:17.840 --> 0:14:20.280 Absolutely, you know they have been open to conversations, and 0:14:20.320 --> 0:14:22.920 that really is the point of the VIZ Advocate program. 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:26.400 Maggie's the president, She's gathered her club and her chapter members, 0:14:26.720 --> 0:14:28.560 and we have had and held a meeting with the 0:14:28.560 --> 0:14:33.080 Athletic Department and the Athletic Director in that that conversation 0:14:33.360 --> 0:14:36.160 was a very open conversation where we walked through the 0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:38.960 gaps that we feel like we are seeing and the 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:42.080 potential violations of Title nine. And we've asked for a 0:14:42.080 --> 0:14:44.360 second meeting to go through the data that they've found. 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:48.600 They have brought in a third third party that last 0:14:48.680 --> 0:14:51.400 year to evaluate how they are as a school, and 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:54.240 we would love to see that data and that's what 0:14:54.280 --> 0:14:57.280 we've asked for next, you know, and this is why 0:14:57.320 --> 0:15:00.480 we've built the program, is like, let's have conversation. Let's 0:15:00.480 --> 0:15:02.840 put the data in front of the leaders that are 0:15:02.840 --> 0:15:06.000 making those decisions and ask them to make a different decision, 0:15:06.680 --> 0:15:09.360 so we'll see, as Maggie says, is what happens. 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:11.800 Or at least have proof that they knowingly made the 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:14.680 decision with full understanding of the impact that it would 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:17.600 have on other student athletes. They can't play dumb if 0:15:17.640 --> 0:15:21.000 you force them to look at the plans that they've 0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:23.480 made and the outcome it will have Maggie, does it 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:26.640 feel like if this moves forward as is, this will 0:15:26.720 --> 0:15:29.360 ultimately amount to asking the team to compete with lesser 0:15:29.400 --> 0:15:33.000 facilities and resources, or that it's actually a step toward 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:34.680 getting rid of the program altogether. 0:15:35.560 --> 0:15:38.040 You know, that's one thing that a lot of alumni 0:15:38.080 --> 0:15:41.400 and stakeholders are fearful of, and it would be a 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:45.080 big shame, especially for the running community in Madison. We 0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:49.720 have a really engaged group of runners and fans in 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:54.440 the city of Madison who have supported us for years 0:15:54.600 --> 0:16:00.640 that we've had the team. We've won numerous Big Ten titles, titles, 0:16:00.640 --> 0:16:03.480 we have so many Olympians, we have a really rich 0:16:03.560 --> 0:16:08.640 winning tradition and making do with less is something we 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:11.760 could do, but it's going to cause the downfall of 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:14.720 our success and it's something that we shouldn't have to do. 0:16:15.800 --> 0:16:19.440 Yeah, I'm your head coach. Ed Nuttycombe, which is a 0:16:19.480 --> 0:16:23.840 great name, has been a twenty six time Big Ten 0:16:23.920 --> 0:16:27.200 Coach of the Year. Like, this is a great program 0:16:27.240 --> 0:16:31.360 that has had a ton of success. So it's not new, 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:35.840 it's not up and coming. It's something that has brought 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:39.880 so much prestige to the school. So the idea that 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:42.840 they would be willing to so callously throw you into 0:16:42.880 --> 0:16:46.560 a warehouse forty minutes away without a bigger plan really 0:16:46.600 --> 0:16:50.080 says something about how much they prioritize things like football 0:16:50.200 --> 0:16:54.600 over over track and field. You know, track and field 0:16:54.640 --> 0:16:56.480 is one of the few sports where men and women 0:16:56.520 --> 0:17:01.880 participate together. We're very intertwined, practice together, air coaches, travel, 0:17:01.880 --> 0:17:08.200 compete together. Have you seen this treatment of other sports 0:17:08.240 --> 0:17:11.639 at the school, particularly women's only sports like field hockey 0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:14.000 or spaces where they're separate or does it feel like 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:16.800 you just happen to get this the brunt of this 0:17:16.840 --> 0:17:18.160 because of the facility you were in. 0:17:19.040 --> 0:17:21.400 I mean, I would say that all non revenue sports 0:17:21.640 --> 0:17:26.359 are definitely feeling a pinch. I mean, the women's and 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:29.280 men's cross country and track teams are obviously disappointed. We're 0:17:29.440 --> 0:17:32.359 a very intertwined team. We hang out all the time 0:17:32.400 --> 0:17:36.920 in practice, outside of practice, and yeah, there are other 0:17:37.000 --> 0:17:42.679 sports that are certainly feeling the tin shows budget cuts, 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:47.800 especially amidst this changing and disable a Our women's Kinnis 0:17:47.800 --> 0:17:50.560 team only just got their own locker room last year, 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:55.159 So yeah, I would say that there are other sports 0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:57.440 that are affected, but the track team has done a 0:17:57.480 --> 0:17:59.000 good job of banning together. 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:02.040 Yeah, to demand better. My collegiate team, it felt like 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:04.160 the men and women were treated equally on the track team. 0:18:04.200 --> 0:18:05.359 Does it feel that way to you or is it 0:18:05.400 --> 0:18:07.760 ever feel like the men's side gets better resources or 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:08.520 treatment or anything. 0:18:09.320 --> 0:18:12.560 Oh, I would say that we are all one as. 0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:16.439 A track team. That's good. Okay, stuff zooming out. So 0:18:16.560 --> 0:18:20.080 we have this individual situation at Wisconsin that clearly needs 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:22.439 to be remedied, but it's part of a larger issue 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:25.040 which I spoke to, which is that Title nine is 0:18:25.200 --> 0:18:29.160 a is a law and name, but not often enough 0:18:29.200 --> 0:18:32.439 in practice. So you're reintroducing a bill that relates to 0:18:32.480 --> 0:18:35.040 Title nine, but is a bigger picture look at how 0:18:35.040 --> 0:18:37.280 we're treating female athletes. It's called the Fair Play for 0:18:37.359 --> 0:18:40.800 Women Act. You're reintroducing it on February fifth in DC 0:18:40.960 --> 0:18:43.240 with Senator Chris Murphy and over two hundred and fifty 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:46.199 women athletes and VIZ advocates. So tell us why it's 0:18:46.200 --> 0:18:48.720 a reintroduction and tell us what the bill is asking for. 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:50.720 Yeah, this is one thing that I've learned a lot 0:18:50.720 --> 0:18:53.840 over the last few years. Policy takes time. On average, 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:57.280 a bill can be three to five years past. So's 0:18:57.480 --> 0:18:59.160 we're in it for the long run, and the more 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:01.400 voices that we have at the table at Capitol Hill, 0:19:01.520 --> 0:19:03.879 the stronger we're going to be as a collective. But 0:19:03.960 --> 0:19:07.400 when you really take a step back, the Fair Play 0:19:07.440 --> 0:19:09.600 for Women Act is really trying to address the real 0:19:09.640 --> 0:19:12.440 issues that girls and women are facing across the country. 0:19:12.840 --> 0:19:16.040 And those real issues right now are lack of education 0:19:16.119 --> 0:19:19.880 around Title nine, lack of enforcement of schools when they're 0:19:19.880 --> 0:19:23.760 not in compliance, and then lack of data transparency. So 0:19:23.920 --> 0:19:26.480 like those three pillars are the Fair Play for Women Act, 0:19:26.840 --> 0:19:28.800 and the goal is really to make sure that there's 0:19:29.080 --> 0:19:34.400 less discrimination against women in public institution around sports. And 0:19:34.600 --> 0:19:37.800 if you just look at the Government Office of Accountability, 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:40.280 so they did a study. They looked at all of 0:19:40.280 --> 0:19:43.240 the NCAA schools and found that ninety three percent of 0:19:43.240 --> 0:19:46.600 the schools are offering fewer opportunities to women. So while 0:19:46.680 --> 0:19:52.080 Maggie's experience is not good, it's unfortunately pretty standard and 0:19:52.119 --> 0:19:53.800 that's why we have to get at the roots of 0:19:53.840 --> 0:19:56.680 the problem and really get after introducing the Fair Play 0:19:56.720 --> 0:19:59.960 for Women Act. So not much has changed in this reintroduction, 0:20:00.200 --> 0:20:03.080 but we're working on bringing in more sponsors and getting 0:20:03.119 --> 0:20:06.160 more momentum behind the bill, and it's really really important 0:20:06.240 --> 0:20:09.880 right now because the House a couple of weeks ago 0:20:10.000 --> 0:20:13.720 actually passed another bill, and that bill kind of goes 0:20:13.800 --> 0:20:16.439 under the name of protecting girls and women in sport. 0:20:17.680 --> 0:20:21.119 It's HR twenty eight, and this offers another opportunity for 0:20:21.160 --> 0:20:24.880 people to really protect girls and women with the real issues, 0:20:25.960 --> 0:20:28.440 an anti trans bill, which is HR twenty eight. 0:20:28.960 --> 0:20:31.680 Yeah, let's talk about that. You talked about how hard 0:20:31.680 --> 0:20:33.320 it is to get bills through, and yet all of 0:20:33.359 --> 0:20:36.760 a sudden, we very quickly are able to pass through 0:20:38.119 --> 0:20:40.640 something to address what is alleged to be about ten 0:20:40.680 --> 0:20:43.520 athletes out of five hundred thousand at the NCAA level. 0:20:44.520 --> 0:20:46.920 That bill, of course addresses K through twelve as well, 0:20:46.920 --> 0:20:49.240 but it doesn't feel like and it has never been 0:20:49.280 --> 0:20:51.840 the biggest issue for women's sports. There are countless other 0:20:51.920 --> 0:20:54.840