JUDGE TO DECIDE WHETHER CHEERLEADING IS A SPORT

Is cheerleading really a sport? A federal judge in Bridgeport, Connecticut, will let us know.

Judge Stefan Underhill will preside over a U.S. District Court trial to decide whether cheerleading can be counted as a sport by schools looking for ways to meet gender-equality requirements.

The decision is part of a lawsuit that was filed last year by members of a women's volleyball team after the school decided to eliminate women's volleyball in favor of a competitive cheer squad -- because it was cheaper.

The verdict could be a big deal moving forward and determine how cheerleading is defined.

All this mess, of course, comes from Title 9, the 1972 federal law that mandates equal opportunities for both men and women in athletics.