Exclusive records show Nevada athletics ran afoul of Title IX. Its leaders shrugged.

Many hours they should have spent practicing, Aaliyah Rivas and her teammates roamed the University of Nevada, Reno softball field carrying shovels and buckets instead of bats and balls. The athletic department rarely maintained the field. So plowing snow, pulling weeds and picking rocks, trash and goose poop out of the grass fell to coaches and players. The team had complained for years about its dilapidated facilities. The dugout toilets didn’t flush. The field lacked lights, which meant games could be played only in the daytime, when many fans were...