Bobby Riggs V. Billie Jean King Match and Passing of Title Ix

Introduction: Imagining Gender Equality in Sports

Imagine a world where women and men live equally. For years, women have been treated differently than men in all aspects, especially in sports. Women did not receive equal pay or opportunity as men in athletics. Women were viewed as lesser and expected to stay home to cook, clean, and do housework. Title IX was a pivotal moment in history, helping women of every age and race achieve equal opportunity to participate in sports and education. The attention drawn from the Bobby Riggs vs. Billie Jean King match was instrumental in the passing of Title IX, a significant step towards helping women gain equality in sports and education.

The Bobby Riggs vs. Billie Jean King Match and the Passing of Title IX

For many years, female athletes were looked down upon. Sports clubs often discriminated against women and didn't allow them to partake in events. No athletic scholarships were given to women, and there were no championships held for women’s teams (Title IX: A Brief History, 2023). A famous tennis player, Billie Jean King, was a prominent figure in the sports industry, advocating for women's equality. She was vocal about her beliefs and started many foundations and campaigns to support women. In the early 1970s, 55-year-old tennis player Bobby Riggs was known for dismissing women’s equality in tennis and sought to challenge top female players. Matches between genders were often referred to as a “battle of the sexes.”

In the spring, Riggs played against female tennis player Margaret Court, who forfeited the match, allowing Riggs to assert that no woman could beat him. Determined to challenge Billie Jean King, Riggs persistently urged her to play. In July, she agreed to a $100,000 winner-takes-all match. Riggs had a long-standing reputation for being arrogant and bold, drumming up attention for the match by embracing the role of male power. He made declarations such as “she’s a woman and they don’t have the emotional stability to win” and “women belong in the bedroom and kitchen” (Greenspan, 2019). King, occupied with a secret relationship with her female assistant, knew she had to confront him to prove his statements wrong.

The event took place on September 20, 1973, with more than 30,000 fans in the Houston Astrodome and over 90 million viewers online (Katz, 2015). King entered the court in a gold litter carried by members of the Rice University men’s track team. Riggs's entrance was more flamboyant as he arrived in a rickshaw surrounded by women known as “Bobby’s bosom buddies.” Riggs wore blue sneakers and, for the first three matches, a yellow jacket with “sugar daddy” on the back. Initially, King was trailing but managed to regain her position. Riggs later admitted he should have practiced more and not taken the match lightly. King defeated him 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, leading Riggs to demand a rematch.

After the match, many viewers were stunned by King's victory. The match became a symbol of women's sports in the 1970s and a measure of progress. That year, the U.S. Open became the first Grand Slam championship to award equal prize money to men and women competitors (Kaufman, 2017). King received many endorsements following the match, including Adidas sneakers, Wilson tennis rackets, Colgate toothpaste, and Sunbeam hair curlers. The match turned King into “arguably the first superstar female athlete in the United States.” She founded a nonprofit advocacy group to support female athletes and a team tennis league after the match.

The Impact of Title IX

Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. It states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” (U.S. Department of Education, 2023). Title IX provided equal access to higher education. Until 1970, most colleges refused to accept women; now, more men and women are enrolled in colleges. It offers women equal opportunities in athletics and provides more athletic scholarships. “In high school, the number of female athletes has increased from just 259,000 in 1972 to more than 2.6 million” (Title IX: A Brief History, 2023). The battle of the sexes helped raise awareness for women’s rights in sports.

Conclusion: Continuing the Legacy of Gender Equality in Sports

This event significantly improved the respect and recognition for women athletes. More opportunities for women have emerged since the passing of Title IX, aiding them in their athletic careers and education. Title IX has changed perceptions of women athletes, showcasing their capabilities. It continues to open new doors for women, helping them attain the education and athletic practice necessary to create their own legacies in the athletic world, as Billie Jean King did.

References

• Greenspan, J. (2019). The Battle of the Sexes. History.com. https://www.history.com/news/billie-jean-king-bobby-riggs-battle-of-the-sexes
• Katz, R. (2015). Billie Jean King: The Match that Changed History. New York: HarperCollins.
• Kaufman, M. (2017). Game, Set, Match: The Billie Jean King Story. Chicago: Triumph Books.
• Title IX: A Brief History. (2023). National Women's Law Center. https://nwlc.org/resources/title-ix-brief-history/
• U.S. Department of Education. (2023). Title IX and Sex Discrimination. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html