By Jewel Della Valle

The sporting culture of the ’70s was rife with controversy and inequality. Case in point: the Boston Marathon had just begun allowing women to enter the 26-mile race since strenuous athletic activity was thought to adversely affect a woman’s ability to bear children.

By 1972, a little-noticed piece of legislation aimed to help women achieve equality in education and athletics became law. Title IX’s language mandated equal access and opportunities for women at colleges and universities receiving federal financial aid.

Though it extends to all areas of education, no area has sparked as much debate as athletics.

This summer, Title IX turns 35 years old, and the law born in the same era as the Women’s Liberation Movement is now said to be the cause of inequality for men’s sports.

The original intent of the law was never to deplete men’s opportunities or to be blamed for cuts in programming. But as schools compete by spending millions to keep up with the country’s big programs, cuts to some sport programs are prevalent everywhere.

Many argue that this so-called “arms race” typically results in cutting less-popular men’s sports, like track ‘ field and baseball, in order to fund the women’s programs to stay in compliance with Title IX.

James Madison, a Mid-Major school that competes in the Colonial Athletic Association along with Northeastern, cut seven men’s sports and three women’s sports last fall. The move was a prime example of this concept. The school, which is 65 percent female, said the athletic department had to slash the sports because participation numbers didn’t match the lopsided female population.

After the announcement, student-athletes of both genders rallied to protest the news, placing blame on Title IX. Some, like the Women’s Sports Foundation, said James Madison could have prevented the cuts by adding more women’s sports before its certification examination.

Northeastern may be next to feel Title IX’s impact.

With female athletes leveling the playing field, the law responsible for getting them there is often misunderstood and misused. Some contend that the compliance portion of Title IX is now undermining men’s access to athletic opportunities.

“The reality is