The UA Athletic Department responds to claims that it doesn't spend enough money on women's sports.

In the politically charged climate of major collegiate athletics, perhaps the most important issue faced by athletic departments around the country is ensuring gender equity.

This seemed to be a balancing act the University of Arizona athletic department managed well, considering that it finished 8th in this year in the Sears Cup, the annual award given to the most successful athletic department in the nation.

The award is based upon the aggregate success of all the sports programs on campus - both men's and women's.