At first glance, the Title IX controversy at Quinnipiac University seems old hat: school cuts multiple sports teams, athletes sue school to save said sports teams, judge prevents school from cutting the women’s team in question because of Title IX but the men’s programs still get the boot. Well, this story keeps developing, and now it’s anything but a normal Title IX case.

See, when Quinnipiac adjusted its athletic programs, it added a new sport for women: competitive cheerleading. Cheerleading isn’t recognized by the NCAA as a sport, but it seemingly meets the criteria set forth under Title IX. Now a federal judge will have to decide if cheerleading can count as a sport for gender-equity purposes. It’s the first time, to my knowledge, that such a question has been addressed in court, and it could have serious ramifications for future Title IX enforcement.

Cathy Young has a good overview of the issue over at Minding the Campus.