NCAA® to Debut Title IX Anniversary Documentary “Sporting Chance” presented by Northwestern Mutual on ESPN2

INDIANAPOLIS, June 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The NCAA, in conjunction with ESPN and Creative Street Entertainment, will celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Title IX and recognize individuals who helped shape the ground-breaking equity law with the documentary premiere  "Sporting Chance" presented by Northwestern Mutual.  The documentary will debut on ESPN2 on June 23, the anniversary date of Title IX, at noon Eastern.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/53644-northwestern-mutual-and-ncaa-title-ix-40th-anniversary-documentary-espn2

The one-hour documentary tells the emotional story of the landmark passage of Title IX and explores how this law has increased educational opportunities and athletic participation, specifically for women, over the past 40 years.  Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law that states:  "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." 

"When reflecting on great moments of 20^th century civil rights history, certainly 1972 and the enactment of Title IX was a defining point," said NCAA president Mark Emmert. "Title IX is the Magna Carta for women in higher education. It provides for women what had previously been denied -- opportunity.  Because of Title IX, my daughter has more opportunities than my wife had available.  And my granddaughter, more than my daughter."

The documentary features interviews with the trailblazers who fought tirelessly for the passage of Title IX; women who were on campus during the early days of Title IX; and student-athletes who have benefitted from Title IX and achieved success through sports in its 40 years.  The documentary also features personal stories about breaking down gender barriers in athletics and academics in the 1960s and 1970s from such prominent figures as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Senator Birch Bayh, former NCAA student-athlete and Olympic gold medalist Julie Foudy, Olympian Donna de Varona, former student-athlete and International Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King, award-winning sports columnist Christine Brennan, former chief executive officer of The Women's Sports Foundation Donna Lopiano, and Dr. Bernice Sandler, the "Godmother of Title IX."

Sporting Chance presented by Northwestern Mutual is also part of ESPN Networks' celebration of the 40^th anniversary of Title IX. Encore telecasts are scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern and 8 p.m. Eastern June 23 on ESPNU. Northwestern Mutual is an official NCAA corporate partner.

"At Northwestern Mutual, we salute the ideals of Title IX and how it opened the doors for female NCAA student-athletes who are many of today's business and community leaders," said Conrad York, the company's vice president of marketing. "We believe in giving individuals opportunities to attain success whether that's creating financial security or reaching one's full potential in life."

"ESPN is thrilled to showcase Sporting Chance as part of our 40th Anniversary of Title IX initiative," said Carol Stiff, ESPN vice president, programming & acquisitions. "The film documents the impact a 37-word civil rights law has had on our society for past, present and future generations. It gave all women a Sporting Chance."

Additionally, The Coca-Cola Company, an NCAA corporate champion, will host a premiere viewing of Sporting Chance presented by Northwestern Mutual and a panel discussion on Title IX on June 18 in New York City prior to the video debut on June 23.  

Emmert thanked Northwestern Mutual, Coca-Cola and ESPN for their involvement in the anniversary project and the documentary.

"Their commitment provides an additional platform to celebrate Title IX," Emmert said.

Information about Title IX and its impact on intercollegiate athletics and student-athletes also will be available on NCAA.org/TitleIX. A home video DVD of the documentary will also be available for purchase on June 23, and educational materials will be available at a later date in collaboration with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).  

About the NCAA®

The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.  The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions—AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola—and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners—Allstate, Buick, Enterprise, Infiniti, LG, Lowe's, Northwestern Mutual, Reese's (Hershey's), Unilever, UPS and Wheat Thins (Kraft).

About Northwestern Mutual

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company – Milwaukee, WI (Northwestern Mutual) – among the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2012 according to FORTUNE® magazine – has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 155 years. As a mutual company with $1.2 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability insurance, annuities, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company; and Russell Investments.

About ESPN

ESPN, Inc., is the world's leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of more than 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of eight 24-hour domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN 3D and the regionally focused Longhorn Network) and five HD simulcast services (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS and ESPN Deportes). Other businesses include ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (48 networks, syndication, radio, websites, mobile, apps), ESPN Audio (broadcast, satellite, online and apps, a growing category led by ScoreCenter), ESPN.com (plus a variety of sport-, college-, and market-specific sites), ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Enterprises, ESPNHS and espnW. Multi-screen offerings include WatchESPN (access to several ESPN networks online and via an app) and ESPN3 (live multi-screen network available online, on the go and via Xbox LIVE). Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

About Creative Street Entertainment

Creative Street Entertainment produces non-fiction entertainment programs for the cable and broadcast television markets. Creative Street Entertainment was honored with a 2007 Emmy® Award for the documentary Vietnam Nurses with Dana Delany. Creative Street Entertainment is part of Creative Street Media Group, a nationally-recognized, fully-integrated communications company serving clients in video, print, interactive, and web media. For more information on Creative Street Media Group, visit www.creativestreet.com.

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual and NCAA