When it comes to distributing athletics money between men and women, a recent survey reveals that NIU dispenses cash at about the national average.

But that breakdown has some critics saying the numbers show that colleges aren’t following the mandates of Title IX.

Title IX is a federal law that, in effect, states that institutions that receive federal money must spend money on men’s and women’s sports in a way that mirrors the school’s enrollment.

The current edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education details the breakdown of money spent by 203 colleges on men’s and women’s sports.

The averages of the schools who responded to the survey showed that while there were more women than men enrolled at most of the schools, men’s athletics received more money.

The figures are based on 1991 totals.

The survey reveals that NIU’s athletes were 72 percent male, 28 percent female. The overall undergraduate distribution at NIU was 46 percent male, 54 percent female.

Spending on athletic scholarships was also male-oriented. NIU spent $764,578 (62 percent) on men’s scholarships and $468,058 (38 percent) on women’s scholarships.

In terms of operating expenditures, NIU spent $541,103 on men’s sports (64.4 percent) and $299,757 on women’s sports (35.6 percent).

The biggest difference, however, came in amount of money spent on recruiting.

NIU allotted $113,368 on recruiting for men’s sports and $27,098 on women’s sports—a ratio of 80.7 percent to 19.3 percent.

NIU’s spending is close to the Division I averages. Overall, the surveyed schools spent 69.5 percent of their scholarship money on men, 30.4 on women.

Operating expenditures were also male-dominated—77.4 percent for men, 22.6 percent for women.

The survey was based on forms that the schools filled out as part of an NCAA study.

Ninety-seven of the NCAA’s 298 Division I members did not participate in the survey. Most public universities did respond.