It's been awhile since I've posted, okay, it's been about a millenium.  But I thought I would throw this up there and let anyone interested know you can find me at www.featurepresentationonline.com.  This piece is cross-posted there under my real name.  If you like what you read, check it out.  Several other NGS alums are writing for the site as well and doing some great things.

The University of Tennessee athletic department announced on May 22 that women's basketball coach Pat Summitt had signed a six-year contract extension.  The deal promises Summitt approximately $1.125 million a year in total compensation, making her the highest paid coach in NCAA women's basketball.  But the deal marks more than just a watershed moment for salaries in women's sports, it also serves as a quiet indication that the glass ceiling in college coaching may be cracking. 

Summitt, who has coached at UT for 32 years, is the winningest coach in NCAA Division I basketball.  Her 923 career wins are the best all time, ahead of Dean Smith (879), Mike Krzyzewski (750) and John Wooden (665).  She has amassed 25 Southeastern Conference tournament and regular season championships, made appearances in 16 Final Fours and brought six national championships home to Knoxville.  In addition, under her guidance the woman's basketball team has a 100% graduation rate for players completing their four years of eligibility.

Summit made about $900,000 last season.  Contrast that with Krzyzewski whose total compensation package from Duke University was about $1.5 million.  The two coaches share a lot in common - unqualified success on the court and a reputation for demanding academic excellence off the court.  Their teams also both play on home courts dedicated in their names.  But while Summitt's total wins outnumber Krzyzewski's and her number of NCAA titles eclipse his (six to his three), she has made significantly less over the last few years.  Although a strong argument can be made that Duke has had to increase Krzyzewski's salary to keep NBA teams with their deep pockets from poaching their coach, it just didn't seem right that Summitt's success doing the same job - on and off the court - was not being rewarded in the same way.

Economists and politicians have been predicting for years that as more women moved into the workforce and attained higher levels of education, the wage gap between the sexes would narrow.  But that has not proven to be the case.  Four decades after the Civil Rights Act banned gender-based discrimination in the workplace, women continue to earn less than men for the same work.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2003, the last year for which data are available, women earned $.76 on the dollar compared to men, and women's median income was $30,724 compared to $40, 668 for men.

In college basketball at least, things are looking up.  The contract extension announced this week puts Summitt, possibly the most high-profile coach in women's sports period, on par with her male colleagues.  UT Women's Athletic Director Joan Cronan correctly called the deal "a landmark statement for women's athletics."  However, it is just one deal, hard won after a long and extremely successful career.  The true test will come as other women follow in Summitt's footsteps and begin to build impressive resumes.  How will they be rewarded?  Let's hope it's in the same way that their male colleagues are - fairly, equitably and based on results.