Florida Tech reinstates men's rowing amid Title IX lawsuit, looks to hire head coach
The Florida Institute of Technology men's rowing team is back as a varsity sport after an eight-month hiatus — and the university is now searching for interim and permanent head coaches.
Florida Tech had terminated the program without warning in June, demoting the squad to club status.
But the Friends of FIT Rowing Association alumni group responded by filing a federal lawsuit. The rowers' attorneys argued Florida Tech discriminated against the rowers in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which requires universities that receive federal funding to provide equal opportunity in athletics without regard to gender.
More:Judge orders Florida Tech to reinstate men's rowing as a varsity sport by spring break
More:Florida Tech rowers argue Title IX discrimination against males in bid to save their sport
Last week, a federal judge in Orlando ordered Florida Tech to reinstate the men’s rowing team to varsity status no later than Friday. On Friday afternoon, the university released a statement:
"Pursuant to the direction of United States District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza, Florida Institute of Technology has reinstated men’s rowing as a varsity sport. It now re-joins four other NCAA Division II rowing programs nationwide," the statement said.
Florida Tech's statement also said the university had:
Identified and prepared to provide equipment previously used by the men's rowing team for their exclusive use.
Posted a job announcement for a head coach.
Begun the interview process to hire an interim head coach.
"Florida Tech is communicating with club rowers regarding this reinstatement of varsity rowing and working with them on the logistics of the reinstatement," the statement said.
Florida Tech officials posted a job advertisement seeking a men's rowing head coach Friday on the university website.
Jim Granger, the Panthers former men's rowing head coach, was hired in August by Georgetown University. He had led Florida Tech's men's squad the past 15 years.
Adam Thorstad is now coaching the men's and women's club rowing teams. He had just finished his 16th season as head coach of the Panthers women’s varsity rowing team before it was also eliminated in June, along with men's and women's cross country/distance track and men's golf. All transitioned from varsity to club sports.
In a Friday federal court filing, Florida Tech's attorneys said an informational meeting will take place Monday for students interested in joining the men’s rowing team. The university has also initiated the process for the program to rejoin the Intercollegiate Rowing Association.
And in a one-page presidential declaration submitted to the court, Florida Tech Interim President Robert King announced the squad will receive resources and benefits commensurate with varsity-level intercollegiate status, per Mendoza's order.
The male rowers' Title IX argument noted that FIorida Tech’s 2018–19 enrollment of 3,261 undergraduate students consisted of 2,325 men (71.3%) and 936 women (28.7%). The university fielded 533 athletes, 342 of which were men. Therefore, men represented only 64.2% of athletes compared with their 71.3% undergraduate-enrollment population, creating a shortfall of 132 male athletic opportunities.
During a Feb. 1 courtroom hearing in Orlando, the rowers' attorneys produced evidence showing Florida Tech fielded similar shortfalls of 117 opportunities for men in 2021–22 and 121 opportunities in 2022–23. They argued that, because Florida Tech was already in violation of Title IX, it could not legally cut a viable men’s team.
Florida Tech's spring break — a traditional key training period for the rowers — takes place from March 13 to 17.
Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida Tech reinstates men's rowing amid Title IX lawsuit, seeks coach
