New Research from the Women's Sports Foundation® Finds the Full Sports Pipeline Isn't Keeping Pace with the Professional Women's Sports Boom

The inaugural WSF Sport Report^TM 2026 reveals higher costs for girls, a belonging gap among teens and warning signs for women in college sports.

NEW YORK, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women's Sports Foundation (WSF^®) released its inaugural WSF Sport Report^TM 2026, a new annual benchmark examining the state of girls' and women's sports across the full sports pipeline.

A first-of-its-kind annual assessment, the WSF Sport Report takes a view no other research does: examining the state of girls' and women's sports across the full pipeline, from a girl's first opportunity to play through collegiate, professional and elite (Olympic and Paralympic) competition. By pairing the experiences of girls and their families with candid assessments from leaders shaping women's sports today, the report connects what is happening at every level to reveal where progress is taking hold, where it is stalling or slipping backward, and what demands attention next.

The inaugural findings reveal a striking disconnect between the progress making headlines at the professional level and the reality across the full sports pipeline:

• More than half of girls who have never played want to. 54% of girls ages 8–18 who have never played organized sports say they want to, essentially the same as boys (52%). Yet 45% of girls currently participate in organized sports compared with 52% of boys.
• Girls face higher costs to play. Median annual sports spending is $500 for girls compared with $400 for boys, a 25% difference. Cost is an even greater barrier for girls from lower-income households, who are more than twice as likely to cite it as a reason they have never played.
• A belonging gap is evident among teens. At ages 8–10, 80% of both girls and boys feel sports are "for someone like me." Among 14–18-year-olds, that figure is 66% for girls compared with 73% for boys, leaving roughly one in three teen girls who does not feel sports are "for someone like her."
• Most girls and parents are unfamiliar with Title IX. 79% of girls ages 8–18 and 55% of parents say they have never heard of the landmark law.

That lack of awareness comes as 47% of industry experts identify Title IX rollbacks or weakened enforcement as the greatest threat to continued progress for girls and women in sports.

"Girls deserve an equal chance to get in the game, the resources to stay there, a place where they know they belong and the knowledge to stand up for their rights. We fought, and continue to fight, for Title IX because every girl deserves an equal chance to discover what sports can give her. These findings remind us that progress has to be understood, protected and pushed forward," said Billie Jean King, Founder and Honorary Chair of the Women's Sports Foundation.

Professional Progress, College Warning Signs

Further along the pipeline, the report finds a stark contrast between the professional and collegiate levels:

• Experts overwhelmingly report progress at the professional level. 93% say progress toward gender equality improved over the past year, by far the strongest assessment of any level examined.
• College sports show warning signs. College is the only level examined where more experts say progress for women declined than improved (37% vs. 35%). And 40% say the leading barrier they identified has worsened over the past year, compared with just 16% who say it is improving.

Experts point to unequal resource allocation and disparities in name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities among the greatest barriers facing women college athletes, while also raising concerns about new revenue-sharing structures and implementation of the House v. NCAA settlement.

"The extraordinary growth in professional women's sports shows what is possible when investment, innovation and opportunity align. But our research tells a more complicated story. College sports, where the next generation of athletes, coaches and leaders are often developed, is the only level where more experts say progress declined than improved over the past year. NIL, revenue sharing and litigation are rebuilding an outdated economic model from the ground up, and women don't yet have a guaranteed seat at the table. The WSF Sport Report exists to name where that work is needed and to hold the field accountable to getting it done," said Danette Leighton, CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation.

Visibility Is Growing. Connection Still Has to Follow.

Even amid the professional boom, the report finds differences in how girls and boys connect with professional athletes:

• Nearly half of girls cannot name a favorite professional athlete. 45% of girls cannot name one of any gender, compared with 29% of boys.
• Few boys name a woman as their favorite professional athlete. Only 2% of boys name a woman, compared with 23% of girls.

"Visibility has the power to change what girls believe is possible for themselves in sports, but it has to be sustained. When we invest in women athletes and tell their stories year-round, we're not only building fans and growing the business of women's sports. We're showing the next generation that there is a place for them in the game, too," said Gabby Thomas, Olympic gold medalist and Women's Sports Foundation Trustee.

What Comes Next

The inaugural WSF Sport Report points not only to where gaps remain, but to what is possible. The investment, innovation and attention transforming professional women's sports demonstrate what can happen when opportunity is met with intentional action.

The opportunity now is to bring that same ambition across the full sports pipeline, from expanding access and belonging for girls to strengthening the protections that preserve equal opportunity and ensuring women are not left behind as college sports undergo historic change.

For more than 50 years, the Women's Sports Foundation has used research to identify barriers and inform action. The WSF Sport Report creates a new annual benchmark to do just that: track progress, surface emerging challenges and help identify where the field must focus next.

The full WSF Sport Report, including complete findings and methodology, is available at www.WomensSportsFoundation.org/WSFSportReport.

About the WSF Sport Report^TM 2026
The WSF Sport Report draws on two original research initiatives conducted in 2026. A nationally representative online survey conducted by YouGov from May 28 to June 15 included more than 6,100 U.S. parents and their children, ages 8–18. Parents completed a survey about their household's experiences with youth sports and identified an eligible child to participate. The youth survey was then completed independently by 3,065 children, with roughly equal numbers of girls and boys across three age groups: 8–10, 11–13 and 14–18. Age-group comparisons are cross-sectional and reflect differences between groups at a single point in time, not changes within the same children over time.

WSF also surveyed 60 professionals across the women's sports ecosystem from June 25 to July 22, representing perspectives across collegiate, professional and elite (Olympic and Paralympic) sport. Nearly three-quarters had more than 10 years of professional experience in women's sports.

About the Women's Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports Foundation^® (WSF^®) exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate, and a catalyst for tomorrow's leaders. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we are one of the first organizations to recognize the powerful connection between sport access, equity, and society. For over 50 years, WSF has been changing the game through its research, advocacy, and community programming, investing over $115 million to help girls and women play, compete, and lead – in sports and beyond – without barriers. A leader and champion of the entire women's sports ecosystem, WSF amplifies the vital societal and cultural impact that is made when girls and women play sports. When girls play, they lead, and we all win!^® To learn more about the Women's Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Kandice Miller
Women's Sports Foundation
[email protected] 

Meg Rushton
Women's Sports Foundation
[email protected]

SOURCE Women's Sports Foundation