By BROCK BENNETT
Contributing Writer

If you haven’t been to a Division III basketball game yet, you may not know the recent change that has taken place. 

Traditionally, in Division III, the women have always played before the men when it came to sports. 

According to Director of Intercollegiate Athletics John Dzik, “We simply made the change so that we don’t get sued by angry parents.” 

Recently, other Division III conferences have been getting sued by parents because the parents have had trouble making it to see the women’s games because the games are scheduled so early. Piedmont and the other schools in the USA South Conference have decided to take a proactive approach and switch the times for any double header home games. 

This change is supposed to allow the public a better opportunity to attend the women’s games because the game times are later. 

But the change is not just for basketball games. Even soccer games have seen a switch in playing times. From now on, every year the time for women’s and men’s games will switch. So if women play earlier than men one year, the next year men will play before the women do the next year.

I have noticed at the Piedmont basketball games that people are showing up earlier to watch the men’s game and staying later to watch the women’s game that follows. Before, people would not get to the women’s game until it was almost over because the men’s game followed. 

However, I have noticed that many people leave during the halftime of the women’s game, but it is nice to see them support the Lady Lions during the beginning than not at all. This new schedule is a great way for women to get the recognition that they deserve and for the fans to see that women’s teams need just as much support as the men’s teams do.