Leadership roles in collegiate athletics are not available to women.

A new comprehensive study of gender representation in college athletics administration finds that despite significant growth in the industry, leadership roles remain largely unavailable to women.

Official documentpublished on Wednesday as part of Pipeline projecta larger study aimed at promoting gender equity in intercollegiate athletics shows that while women hold 44 percent of entry-level athletic administration positions, only 12 women are athletic directors at the 130 colleges and universities in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level. competition.

Women who participate in collegiate athletics often tend to concentrate in student and administrative positions rather than income-generating or outward-looking positions such as fundraising and development, according to the study. Such positions are often perceived as critical experience for promotion to higher management positions, the report notes.

The Pipeline Project argues that the differences in athletic leadership roles are especially worth noting in an era when college athletics departments face “unprecedented changes.” As they expand to manage new name, image and likeness policies and conference realignments, the lack of women in leadership positions will impact how prospects shape the future of college sports.

“The data shows that women may face barriers at critical stages of career transition, including advancement into management and leadership positions,” Meg Hancock, assistant professor of sport administration at the University of Louisville and principal investigator of the Pipeline Project, said in a press release. This research helps “identify specific points where interventions can lead to meaningful change not only for women, but also in the development of innovative and creative leadership teams.”