More on Title IX from Emily Badger at the Orlando Sentinel.

"The surveys we found were weak at best, haphazard at worst, so we developed a model survey based on sound statistical methods," said Susan Aspey, press secretary for the Department of Education. "Schools can't buy the rhetoric from some of these special-interest groups that they can just pass out an e-mail and be done with it. This is absolutely not a way to get around the law."

Aspey also explained that they didn't have any public comment period because the new rules are merely a guide, not a requirement.

Hmmm... that's not entirely consistent with the OCR's previous claim that the new rules "raise the bar" for surveys. Nor is it particularly relevant, as a legal matter.

Badger also asked several ADs what they think of the new rules. Miami AD Paul Dee doubts that the model survey technique will be very useful.

"It sort of collapses from its own weight," he said. "If you have a survey where people say `we want X team' and you create that team, probably those people in the student body who voted for it aren't on it. You're going to go out and recruit better people. You're basically saying, `What sports do you want to watch?'"