A federal appeals court ruled that colleges cannot count competitive cheerleading as a sport when trying to comply with gender-equity requirements, upholding a United States District Court decision against Quinnipiac University. In a decision released Tuesday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit found that competitive cheerleading does not yet meet the standards of a varsity sport under Title IX, the 1972 federal law that mandates equal opportunities for men and women in education and athletics.

The ruling came on an appeal filed by Quinnipiac, which had been successfully sued by its volleyball coach after it tried to eliminate the women’s volleyball program in favor of competitive cheering. Quinnipiac did not indicate whether it would appeal the latest decision to the United States Supreme Court.

¶ Penn State’s football jerseys will include blue ribbons to show support for victims of child abuse, and players’ names for the first time. University officials said that adding the names was a way to recognize the “resolve and dedication” of the players as the team faces strict penalties handed down by the N.C.A.A. last month over Penn State’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal.

¶ The Colonial Athletic Association added Stony Brook and Albany to its football-only membership beginning in 2013. Stony Brook leaves the Big South Conference after three consecutive league championships and its first N.C.A.A. Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearance in 2011. ZACH SCHONBRUN More coverage at nytimes.com/thequad.