Title Ix: 25th Anniversary, June 23, 1972 Big Steps For Women

Some significant events in United States women’s sports history since the passage of Title IX:

1972

Title IX, federal law prohibiting gender discrimination in high school and college sports, passed on June 23.

Six women competing in the New York City Marathon sat at the starting line to protest a rule that they must start the race 10 minutes ahead of the men. When the time elapsed, the women got up and ran with the men. The Amateur Athletic Union added 10 minutes to their finishing times. The women sued and simultaneous starts became the rule.

There were 817,073 girls participating in high school sports.

1973

Fifty billion television viewers watched Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the “Challenge of the Sexes” tennis match.

The U.S. Open became the first tennis tournament to offer equal prize money to men and women - $25,000.

1974

Little League allowed girls to play baseball and softball.

1978

Amateur Sports Act passed, prohibiting gender discrimination in open amateur sports.

The Women’s Professional Basketball League opened in Milwaukee.

UCLA won the AIAW basketball title in Pauley Pavilion before a record crowd of 9,351. NBC paid $7,500 to televise the championship game for the first time.

1981

AIAW ceased operation; brought an unsuccessful antitrust suit against the NCAA, which took over college women’s sports.

1982

Women’s Basketball Coaches Association was formed.

NCAA sanctioned its first national championship tournaments for women in basketball, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and outdoor track.

Cheryl Miller scored 105 points in a basketball game for Riverside (Calif.) Poly High School, a record that still stands.

The Supreme Court said that Title IX covered coaches and other employees as well as students.

1986

Musher Susan Butcher won her first of four Iditarod Races.

1988

Civil Rights Restoration Act passed, putting teeth in Title IX.

Stacy Allison became first American woman to climb Mt. Everest. 1992 Barbara Hedges became the first woman to head an athletics department, being named athletics director at the University of Washington.

The Supreme Court ruled that monetary damages were available under Title IX.

For the first time, girls swept all three divisions in the All-American Soap Box Derby.

1993

Julie Krone became the first woman to win a Triple Crown horse race with a victory in the Belmont Stakes.

Karey Schueler was the first woman drafted by a major league team. She was taken by the Chicago White Sox in the 43rd round.

1994

The Colorado Silver Bullets, the first women’s professional baseball team to play in men’s minor-league baseball, played its first game.

Chris Kromer started as quarterback for Santa Maria (Texas) Junior High School.

1995

For the first time, women outspent men in purchasing athletic shoes - $6 billion to $5.6 billion.

Kendra Wecker became the first female to compete in the national finals of the NFL Punt, Pass and Kick program. She finished second in the 12-year-old class.

Kerri Ann McTiernana became the first woman head coach of a men’s college basketball team.

1996

The 1996 Olympics had the largest number of U.S. women participating (277) in the 100-year history of the event.

The U.S. women’s basketball, soccer and softball teams won gold medals.