What positive effect did Title IX have on women's participation in athletic programs in the United States? It expanded women's athletic programs and thus participation at the high school and college level. It required there be an equal number of men and women in athletic programs at the college level. It required that women have free access to athletic programs at the high school and college level. It expanded the outreach at the college level to recruit the best female players for their programs.

One of the great achievements of the women’s movement was the enactment of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The law 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." Most people think Title IX only applies to sports, but athletics is only one of ten key areas addressed by the law. These areas include: access to higher education, career education, education for pregnant and parenting students, employment, learning environment, math and science, sexual harassment, standardized testing, and technology.