University of the Pacific alumna Cindy (Bava) Spiro ’76, ‘84 has experienced it all in roles related to Title IX, the federal law adopted 50 years ago that prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.

Student-athlete. Administrator. Marketer. Fundraiser. Advocate.

Those efforts were lauded recently when the West Coast Conference recognized Spiro as one of the member schools’ Title IX pioneers.

Spiro graduated from high school the same month Title IX was adopted, June of 1972. But the landmark legislation was not on her radar at that point. 

“I had no clue,” she said. “I was just looking forward to going to college. The only sports were tennis and swimming. Those were not my sports so I focused on intramurals.”

During her sophomore year at Pacific, Spiro worked on an independent study project with director of athletics Cedric Dempsey, focused on the impact of Title IX on Pacific and other schools in the region.

“He took me to conference meetings where I heard from the administrators at Stanford, Cal and other schools. It was my first exposure to athletics administration, which was a great experience,” Spiro said.

In her junior year, Pacific started club-level programs for volleyball and basketball. Spiro played on the first basketball team, which finished with a 0-11 record.

Things changed her senior year–the first women’s varsity season, when the team played in a league and made over-night trips for games. Spiro was awarded an $800 scholarship as a member of the women’s basketball team and the student athletic trainer. She taped teammates’ ankles before games. 

“We felt respected,” she explained. “We were recognized as an intercollegiate team. The number of fans grew. We had nicer, newer uniforms. It was a different vibe. We were invited to the Scholar-Athlete Luncheon with the male athletes. Cedric Dempsey and the administration recognized us as equals at that event, which was quite progressive for the time.”

In 1976, she graduated from Pacific and married Steve Spiro, a fellow Tiger and member of the Pacific football team. She came back to Pacific for graduate school from 1977-79 and oversaw intramurals.

In spring 1979, she was recruited to become the first full-time women’s athletics coordinator, replacing faculty member Doris Meyer, who was the part-time coordinator in addition to her teaching responsibilities.

She teamed with another alumna, current Regent Mary-Elizabeth Eberhardt ’76, who was the first marketing and fundraising coordinator for women’s athletics, to start the Pacific Association for Women’s Sports (PAWS) as a fundraising organization. With Eberhardt’s community connections and determination, they approached the community to support women’s athletics. Though extremely successful, it was challenging.

“When I look back on what we did, and the hurdles we had to overcome, it's amazing,” Eberhardt said. “I remember having to convince businessmen in our community that women's athletics was up-and-coming, and we can put on just as good of a show. It was a bit of a tough sell, but we not only talked the talk, we walked the walk. The women's teams were fabulous.” 

She points to volleyball as one example. The women won back-to-back NCAA championships in 1985 and 1986.

“Cindy and I made a great team,” said Eberhardt, who has known Spiro since day one of their freshman year. “She is dedicated and passionate. I don't think you'll find many people as hardworking when she puts her mind to a project.”

Spiro said it was exciting to be on the “cutting edge” of helping collegiate women’s athletics move forward. Her position coincided with the 1979 Title IX policy interpretation that is still in place today, requiring equitable treatment. 

“We did reports on the spending on athletics,” Spiro explained. “The spending at the time was 80 percent for men’s sports and 20 percent for women’s sports. We went into classrooms and talked about Title IX. I actually pretended to sue the university over the issue. I heard about that one. I did it as an exercise to get discussion, and it got heated among the men and women in the classroom.”

Spiro left the university to raise her family in 1981 but was proud of those early years. “We created regional awareness and support for volleyball plus women’s athletics as a whole,” she said. While raising her family, Spiro remained in touch with the university.

Spiro finished her master’s degree with a final project on the history of women’s sports at Pacific. She was hired as a part-time historian and chaired the Hall of Fame Committee. In February of 1994, she was recruited to return to the administration as the senior women administrator. 

Spiro served another 14 years on the Stockton Campus and continued to be an advocate for Title IX as the first woman to oversee the Pacific athletics facilities. She also helped secure a grant from USA Water Polo to start a women’s program.

“It was like I had the chance to be the first of everything, and that was cool,” said Spiro, who left Pacific for an administrative position at the University of California, Davis in 2008.  “I love to be a change agent.”