MINNEAPOLIS -- Mary Nystrom followed her brother as a placekicker in high school and thought that she might do the same for the Minnesota Gophers after spotting an advertisement by the football team for a "quality kicker/punter.''

But the younger sister of Dan Nystrom, who ended his Gophers career last fall as the Big Ten's career leader in field goals made and scoring by a kicker, didn't make it past this week's tryouts.

In fact, the Gophers wouldn't even let her try out.

"It's men's college football, and it is not a co-ed sport,'' said Tim Allen, university assistant athletic director of football operations.

The Gophers were not obligated to give her a tryout because, under Title IX legislation, schools can prohibit women from participating in men's contact sports.

But once a woman is allowed to participate, she must be treated equally.

Last winter, New Mexico's Katie Hnida became the first woman to play in an NCAA Division I-A game when she had an extra-point attempt blocked against UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl. Several other teams have had women on their rosters.

Mary Nystrom said Gopher coaches cited the situation involving Duke University, which was sued by Heather Sue Mercer, a female kicker who made the football team in 1995 but was cut one year later.

Mercer claimed she was dropped from the team because she was a woman. She eventually won a $2 million sex-discrimination lawsuit but lost the money on appeal two years later.

"I'm a little disappointed,'' Nystrom said. "I don't know why I couldn't (try out). But I'm not going to fight it. It's not that big a deal.''

Nystrom said more than 20 kickers showed up for the afternoon tryout. She said she was allowed to kick on her own, without being part of the official tryout.

Nystrom, who was a regular kicker for Cooper High School, said she felt she would have "ranked right up there'' with the other placekickers. She said she's comfortable kicking within 35 yards, and can hit from as far as 40 yards.

"I'm going into education, and one of the things I believe in is encouraging kids of all ages, male and female, to try stuff -- whether you're nervous or scared or if you don't think you have a possibility of making it,'' she said. "Just go out, have fun, and say you did it.

"And that's what I did. I did it. I just didn't have an official tryout, I guess you'd say.''