As high schools around West Virginia struggle to maintain the status quo of their athletic programs and keep an eye on their compliance with Title IX mandates, now comes debate as to whether one of the few female-only sports is a sport at all.

Cheerleading, which has been regarded as a competitive sport in West Virginia since its first state tournament in 1987, is being scrutinized in a federal court case.

Five members of the volleyball team at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut and their coach filed suit last year after the school decided, in a budgetary move, to eliminate women's volleyball in favor of a competitive cheering squad.

Federal Judge Stefan Underhill will also be asked to decide if Quinnipiac improperly manipulated the rosters of its other athletic teams - undercounting the men and overcounting women - to get around Title IX guidelines. The case, which began June 21, is being considered a class-action suit for all current and future athletes at the school.

Judging routines in cheerleading is, well, routine business, but the verdict in this case could change the way cheerleading is regarded in future tallies of athletic participation levels at high schools and colleges across the country.

In West Virginia, cheerleading is one of nine girls sports sponsored by the Secondary School Activities Commission, and one of just three sports strictly for females - volleyball and softball are the others.

The SSAC sponsors state championship events in 10 boys sports overall - including male-dominated football, golf, wrestling and baseball,

"I'm not an expert on Title IX,'' said SSAC executive director Gary Ray, "but in West Virginia, cheerleading has been a sport for some time.''

Buckle up for some contentious discussions between now and the conclusion of the federal case in Connecticut about the legitimacy of cheerleading as a true sport.

"It's definitely a sport,'' said Jackie Boyles, coach of four-time Class AA state titlist Lincoln. "These girls are all very strong. They're athletic. They're conditioned. They have to be in order to do their tumbles, their jumps, their stunts. They're very good athletes. They use all their muscles to do their stunts.

"I know some people say, 'It's not a competition because there are no scores on the scoreboard.' And I say, 'Yes, scores are posted after you're done at the regionals and the states.' I feel I know a little bit about competition, and it is competition. The girls really, really work hard, and you have to have a team for it to work. It takes all 13 in the group to win.''

Three cheers for cheerleading? As high schools around West Virginia struggle to maintain the status quo of their athletic programs and keep an eye on their compliance with Title IX mandates, now comes debate as to whether one of the few female-only sports is a sport at all.

Cheerleading, which has been regarded as a competitive sport in West Virginia since its first state tournament in 1987, is being scrutinized in a federal court case.

Five members of the volleyball team at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut and their coach filed suit last year after the school decided, in a budgetary move, to eliminate women's volleyball in favor of a competitive cheering squad.

Federal Judge Stefan Underhill will also be asked to decide if Quinnipiac improperly manipulated the rosters of its other athletic teams - undercounting the men and overcounting women - to get around Title IX guidelines. The case, which began June 21, is being considered a class-action suit for all current and future athletes at the school.

Judging routines in cheerleading is, well, routine business, but the verdict in this case could change the way cheerleading is regarded in future tallies of athletic participation levels at high schools and colleges across the country.

In West Virginia, cheerleading is one of nine girls sports sponsored by the Secondary School Activities Commission, and one of just three sports strictly for females - volleyball and softball are the others.

The SSAC sponsors state championship events in 10 boys sports overall - including male-dominated football, golf, wrestling and baseball,

"I'm not an expert on Title IX,'' said SSAC executive director Gary Ray, "but in West Virginia, cheerleading has been a sport for some time.''

Buckle up for some contentious discussions between now and the conclusion of the federal case in Connecticut about the legitimacy of cheerleading as a true sport.

"It's definitely a sport,'' said Jackie Boyles, coach of four-time Class AA state titlist Lincoln. "These girls are all very strong. They're athletic. They're conditioned. They have to be in order to do their tumbles, their jumps, their stunts. They're very good athletes. They use all their muscles to do their stunts.

"I know some people say, 'It's not a competition because there are no scores on the scoreboard.' And I say, 'Yes, scores are posted after you're done at the regionals and the states.' I feel I know a little bit about competition, and it is competition. The girls really, really work hard, and you have to have a team for it to work. It takes all 13 in the group to win.''

Many schools, until they hear differently, still plan on treating cheerleading like any other sport.

"At a couple athletic directors' conferences we went to, we found out other states don't consider it a sport,'' said longtime Poca AD Allen Osborne. "But our state does.

"The way we look at it at Poca, those kids raise money and pay expenses like any other [sport]. That's what we've got to go by.''

Controversy, it seems, has dogged cheerleading recently.

Brooke, the nine-time AAA defending champion, didn't field a squad last season after many of its athletes decided to participate on an all-star travel squad. A 2005 SSAC ruling prohibits cheerleaders from participating on an outside team during the competitive high school season.

Also last season, the AA portion of the state tournament was delayed nearly four months because of legal action by Tolsia. The squad felt it was unjustly penalized for a stunt performed during the regionals, and the penalty prevented Tolsia from qualifying for the state meet.

The state Supreme Court eventually declined to intervene, clearing a path for Tolsia to compete in the state meet. However, the school ultimately pulled out of the postponed competition two days before the event, citing a "stressful and harmful environment created by the WVSSAC.''

Perhaps adding to the discussion is the question of whether sports exist that are truly gender-specific.

"You know,'' said Ripley AD Jimmy Frashier, "[cheerleading] could technically be co-ed. I know we had a male cheerleader this year.

"That's something you always wonder about with some of those sports. Don't they have girls who are actually wrestling for some schools? We had a couple boys last year who thought about playing volleyball. They said, 'Hey, if [girls] can wrestle, why can't we play volleyball?' ''

Reach Rick Ryan at 304-348-5175 or rickr...@wvgazette.com.