Louisville Athletics Earns Perfect Score in Athletic Equality Index
December 14, 2022 | Community & Culture
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville Athletics Department has earned a perfect score in the Athletic Equality Index (AEI), which was developed to measure LGBTQ inclusion policies and practices in collegiate athletics.
Launched in 2017 and updated in 2019, the AEI is a first-of-its-kind report that provides a comprehensive look at how NCAA D-I institutions are supporting their LGBTQ student-athletes, coaches, administrators, staff, and fans.
Louisville is one of 10 Power Five schools and the only Division I institution in the state of Kentucky to currently hold a perfect score.
The following scale was developed that scores the implementation and accessibility of eight critical LGBTQ-inclusive policies and best practices.
Athletic Department Policies
Athletic Department Practices and Resources
Data is collected by AEI's team of research fellows who perform a comprehensive audit of institutions' policy manuals (including student-athlete handbooks) and their official athletics websites to identify publicly evidenced policies and practices on LGBTQ inclusion at every NCAA D-I institution, and a growing number of D-II and D-III institutions.
The eight policies and practices measured have been empirically proven to impact the experiences of the LGBTQ community. Every athletic department in the sample has the opportunity to offer publicly available evidence of accessible policies, resources, and trainings to staff, fans, and student-athletes.
AEI research fellows continue to reach out to campus leaders at every institution to confirm the accuracy of their scores. At a minimum, four individuals from each institution (the Athletic Director, Senior Woman Administrator, most senior athletic staff member for compliance, and most senior institutional staff member for LGBTQ inclusion) were contacted and asked to make the research team aware of any policies or practices that were not previously identified.
About Athlete Ally
Athlete Ally believes sport will change the world when it welcomes and empowers all people. As a leading national nonprofit working at the intersection of sport and LGBTQI+ equality, Athlete Ally works to end the structural and systemic oppression that isolates, excludes, and endangers LGBTQI+ people in sport. We educate individuals and institutions to understand obstacles to inclusion for LGBTQI+ people and how they can build an inclusive culture. We work to ensure sport governing bodies, teams and leagues adopt policies that reflect the diversity of their constituents. We incubate athlete activism to advance LGBTQI+ equality in and through sport. For more information, visit www.athleteally.org.
Launched in 2017 and updated in 2019, the AEI is a first-of-its-kind report that provides a comprehensive look at how NCAA D-I institutions are supporting their LGBTQ student-athletes, coaches, administrators, staff, and fans.
Louisville is one of 10 Power Five schools and the only Division I institution in the state of Kentucky to currently hold a perfect score.
The following scale was developed that scores the implementation and accessibility of eight critical LGBTQ-inclusive policies and best practices.
Athletic Department Policies
- Policy that protects sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression
- Policy that protects transgender varsity student-athletes
- Policy that protects LGBTQ student-athletes against sexual assault
- Fan code of conduct that protects LGBTQ athletes, staff, and spectators
Athletic Department Practices and Resources
- Department provides LGBTQ educational resources
- Department annually partners with LGBTQ campus group/center
- Department offers LGBTQ trainings for staff
- Department offers LGBTQ trainings for student-athletes
Data is collected by AEI's team of research fellows who perform a comprehensive audit of institutions' policy manuals (including student-athlete handbooks) and their official athletics websites to identify publicly evidenced policies and practices on LGBTQ inclusion at every NCAA D-I institution, and a growing number of D-II and D-III institutions.
The eight policies and practices measured have been empirically proven to impact the experiences of the LGBTQ community. Every athletic department in the sample has the opportunity to offer publicly available evidence of accessible policies, resources, and trainings to staff, fans, and student-athletes.
AEI research fellows continue to reach out to campus leaders at every institution to confirm the accuracy of their scores. At a minimum, four individuals from each institution (the Athletic Director, Senior Woman Administrator, most senior athletic staff member for compliance, and most senior institutional staff member for LGBTQ inclusion) were contacted and asked to make the research team aware of any policies or practices that were not previously identified.
About Athlete Ally
Athlete Ally believes sport will change the world when it welcomes and empowers all people. As a leading national nonprofit working at the intersection of sport and LGBTQI+ equality, Athlete Ally works to end the structural and systemic oppression that isolates, excludes, and endangers LGBTQI+ people in sport. We educate individuals and institutions to understand obstacles to inclusion for LGBTQI+ people and how they can build an inclusive culture. We work to ensure sport governing bodies, teams and leagues adopt policies that reflect the diversity of their constituents. We incubate athlete activism to advance LGBTQI+ equality in and through sport. For more information, visit www.athleteally.org.
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