Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women championships
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women's athletics and to administer national championships. During its existence, the AIAW and its predecessor, the Division for Girls' and Women's Sports, recognized via these championships the teams and individuals who excelled at the highest level of women's collegiate competition.
After the 1981–82 academic year, the AIAW discontinued sponsorship of national championships and later was legally dissolved. At this time, the NCAA assumed sole sanctioning authority of its member schools' women's sports programs.
Governing bodies of women's collegiate athletics through 1982
The Division of Girls and Women's Sports, a division of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, was the first nationally recognized collegiate organization for women's athletics and the forerunner of the AIAW. The Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women operated under the auspices of the DGWS. The CIAW governed from 1966 until February, 1972, and conducted championships in eight sports.During the 1972–73 season, the first full academic year of its operation, the AIAW offered its first eight national championships in the same eight sports.
In years when small-college championships were not contested, and in sports without divisions, there was open competition among eligible teams.
Except as noted below, the NCAA sponsored its first women's championship in each sport in the 1981–82 academic year. Individual athletic programs and, in some cases, individual teams within a program were permitted to choose to participate in either the AIAW or NCAA competitions. The NCAA has never sponsored championship competition in badminton, synchronized swimming, or slow-pitch softball.
In the sports of fencing, lacrosse, rowing and tennis, for completeness, the champions listed below include those bestowed by each sport's governing body prior to the beginning of AIAW championships in those sports.
Compilations of collegiate records by the NCAA, continuing into 2006, have ignored or segregated the contributions of AIAW athletes. Major college basketball's career women's scoring leader, Lynette Woodard of the University of Kansas, speaking on the exclusion of AIAW statistics, said, "Basketball doesn't just start with when the NCAA blessed it. And it's not about Jackie and it's not about Lynette. It's about history. History is history."
[Badminton]
AIAW championship 1973–82. Previously administered by the Division of Girls' and Women's Sports.- 1970 Long Beach State '
- 1971 Arizona State '
- 1972 Pasadena City College '
- 1973 Pasadena City College
- 1974 Long Beach State
- 1975 Arizona State
- 1976 Arizona State
- 1977 UCLA
- 1978 Arizona State
- 1979 Arizona State
- 1980 Arizona State
- 1981 Arizona State
- 1982''' Northern Illinois
[Basketball]
Pre-NCAA statistics, based on AIAW Archives, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.Division I (no division 1968–1974, Large College 1974–1979)
AIAW championship 1972–82. Previously administered by the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.- 1969 West Chester def. Western Carolina 65-39 '
- 1970 Cal State-Fullerton def. West Chester 50-46 '
- 1971 Mississippi State College for Women def. West Chester 57-55 '
- 1972 Immaculata def. West Chester 52-48
- 1973 Immaculata def. Queens 59-52
- 1974 Immaculata def. Mississippi College 68-53
- 1975 Delta State def. Immaculata 90-81
- 1976 Delta State def. Immaculata 69-64
- 1977 Delta State def. LSU 68-55
- 1978 UCLA def. Maryland 90-74
- 1979 Old Dominion def. Louisiana Tech 75-65
- 1980 Old Dominion def. Tennessee 68-53
- 1981 Louisiana Tech def. Tennessee 79-59
- 1982''' Rutgers def. Texas 83-77
Division II (Small College 1974–1979)
- 1975 Phillips University
- 1976 Berry College
- 1977 Southeastern Louisiana
- 1978 High Point
- 1979 South Carolina State
- 1980 University of Dayton
- 1981 William Penn College
- 1982 Francis Marion College
Division III
- 1980 Worcester State College
- 1981 Wisconsin–La Crosse
- 1982 Concordia College
Junior/Community College
- 1973 Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College
- 1974 Anderson College
- 1975 Anderson College
- 1976 Anderson College
- 1977 Anderson College
Cross country">Cross country running">Cross country
Division I (no division 1975–1979)
- 1975 Iowa State
- 1976 Iowa State
- 1977 Iowa State
- 1978 Iowa State
- 1979 North Carolina State
- 1980 North Carolina State
- 1981 Iowa State
Division II
- 1979 Air Force
- 1980 South Dakota State
- 1981 Utah
Division III
- 1979 Cal State-Hayward
- 1980 Cal State-Hayward
- 1981 College of St. Thomas
Fencing">Fencing (sport)">Fencing
AIAW championship 1980–82. Previously administered by the National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association. The IWFA became the National IWFA in 1964 and called for a National Championship.- 1964 Paterson State
- 1965 Paterson State
- 1966 Paterson State
- 1967 Cornell
- 1968 Cornell
- 1969 Cornell
- 1970 Hunter College
- 1971 NYU
- 1972 Cornell
- 1973 Cornell
- 1974 Cal State Fullerton
- 1975 San Jose State
- 1976 San Jose State
- 1977 San Jose State
- 1978 San Jose State
- 1979 San Jose State
- 1980 Penn State
- 1981 Penn State
- 1982 Yale
[Field Hockey]
Division I (no division 1975–1979)
Co-sponsored 1975–78 by the United States Field Hockey Association.- 1975 West Chester def. Ursinus 2-1
- 1976 West Chester def. Ursinus 2-0
- 1977 West Chester def. Ursinus 1-0
- 1978 West Chester def. Delaware 3-2
- 1979 Long Beach State def. Penn State 2-0
- 1980 Penn State def. California 2-1
- 1981 Penn State def. Temple 5-1
Division II
- 1979 Southwest Missouri State def. Colgate 2-0
- 1980 La Salle def. Southwest Missouri State 3-2
- 1981 Lock Haven def. Syracuse 2-0
Division III
- 1979 Shippensburg def. Franklin & Marshall 1-0
- 1980 Gettysburg def. Hartwick 1-0
- 1981 Bloomsburg def. Lynchburg 3-2
[Golf]
Division I (no division 1970–1980)
Team
- 1970 Miami '
- 1971 UCLA '
- 1972 Miami
- 1973 North Carolina at Greensboro|UNC Greensboro]
- 1974 Rollins
- 1975 Arizona State
- 1976 Furman
- 1977 Miami
- 1978 Miami
- 1979 SMU
- 1980 Tulsa
- 1981 Florida State
- 1982 Tulsa
Individual
Gladys Palmer from Ohio State University initiated the women's intercollegiate golf championship in 1941. After World War II, the DGWS, known as the National Section on Women's Sports until 1957, crowned an individual collegiate golf national champion from 1946 through 1971, when it became an AIAW event.Division II
Team
- 1981 William and Mary
- 1982 Weber State
Individual
- 1981 Susan Fox, Colorado State
- 1982 Heidi Wallin, Weber State
Division III
Team
- 1981 Sacramento State
- 1982 UNC Wilmington
Individual
- 1981 Kris Elton, Concordia College
- 1982 Luann Johnson, Meredith College
Gymnastics">Artistic gymnastics">Gymnastics
Division I (no division 1968–1977, Large College 1977–1979)
- 1969 Springfield College '
- 1970 Southern Illinois '
- 1971 Springfield College '
- 1972 Springfield College '
- 1973 Massachusetts
- 1974 Southern Illinois
- 1975 Southern Illinois
- 1976 Clarion State
- 1977 Clarion State
- 1978 Penn State
- 1979 Cal State Fullerton
- 1980 Penn State
- 1981 Utah
- 1982 Florida
Division II (Small College 1977–1979)
Division III
- 1980 Wisconsin–Oshkosh
- 1981 UC Davis
- 1982 Gustavus Adolphus College
Lacrosse">Women's lacrosse">Lacrosse
Division I
AIAW championship 1981–82. Administered 1978–80 by the United States Women's Lacrosse Association.- 1978 Penn State def. Maryland 9-3
- 1979 Penn State def. Massachusetts 8-5
- 1980 Penn State def. Maryland 3-1
- 1981 Maryland def. Ursinus 5-4
- 1982 Temple def. Maryland 3-2
Division II
Division III
- 1981 Trenton State
- 1982 Millersville State
Rowing">Rowing (sport)">Rowing
Only AIAW championship was in 1982. The National Women's Rowing Association sponsored an annual open eights national championship from 1971 to 1979, among college and non-college teams. During this period, only in 1973 and 1975 did a college team win the national eights championship outright. According to USRowing, contemporary news reports in 1976 and 1977 do not mention a national collegiate title. Beginning in 1980, the NWRA sponsored the Women's Collegiate National Championship in varsity eights.NWRA Open Eights top college finishers, 1971–1979 :
- 1971 Washington
- 1972 Washington
- 1973 Radcliffe
- 1974 Radcliffe
- 1975 Wisconsin
- 1976 Wisconsin
- 1977 Wisconsin
- 1978 Wisconsin
- 1979 Yale
- 1980 California
- 1981 Washington
- 1982 Washington
| 1982 Rowing Event | Winner |
| Varsity 8 | Washington |
| Varsity 4 | Pennsylvania |
| Lightweight 8 | Harvard |
| Lightweight 4 | Minnesota |
| Novice 8 | Boston University |
| Novice 4 | Minnesota |
| 2nd Varsity 8 | Washington |
Additional notes:
- A medalist in the 1975 NWRA regatta stated that the 1975 regatta was the 10th annual national women's rowing championship, as emblazoned on T-shirts from the event.
- One citation from 1996 states, " in 1979 finished second in the U.S. National Collegiate Championships.... The 1980 Cal Women's Crew dominated the National Championships,... They won the varsity eight, Cal's first ever varsity national championship in any women's sport."
- One citation from 1999 states, "1980. First Women's Collegiate Rowing Championship held in Oak Ridge, TN."
- One citation from 2001 states, " Just seven years after its first race, the women's team claimed its first national championship in 1979."
- After the last AIAW competition, the National Collegiate Rowing Championship was held from 1983 through 1996. Washington won the varsity eight in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Wisconsin won in 1986. Cornell won in 1989. Princeton won in 1990, 1993, 1994 and 1995. Boston University won in 1991 and 1992. Brown won in 1996.
- From 1997 through the present the NCAA has sponsored the women's collegiate rowing championship.
[Skiing]
- 1977 Dartmouth
- 1978 Utah
- 1979 Middlebury
- 1980 Middlebury
- 1981 Vermont
- 1982 Colorado
Soccer">College soccer in the United States">Soccer
- 1980 Cortland State def. UCLA 5-1
- 1981 North Carolina def. Central Florida 1-0
From Fall 1982 through the present the NCAA has sponsored a women's championship.
Fastpitch [softball]
Division I (no division 1969–1979)
Women's College World SeriesFrom 1969 to 1982, the women's collegiate softball championship was also known as the Women's College World Series and was promoted as such. The Women's College World Series was played in Omaha, Nebraska, through 1979 and in Norman, Oklahoma, during 1980–1982.
AIAW championship 1973–82. Previously administered by the Amateur Softball Association and sanctioned by DGWS from 1969 to 1972. Co-sponsored by the AIAW and ASA through 1979.
- 1969 John F. Kennedy College '
- 1970 John F. Kennedy College '
- 1971 John F. Kennedy College '
- 1972 Arizona State '
- 1973 Arizona State
- 1974 Southwest Missouri State
- 1975 Omaha
- 1976 Michigan State
- 1977 Northern Iowa
- 1978 UCLA
- 1979 Texas Woman's
- 1980 Utah State
- 1981 Utah State
- 1982 Texas A&M
Division II
- 1980 Emporia State
- 1981 Sacramento State
- 1982 Northern Iowa
Division III
- 1980 Cal State Chico
- 1981 Eastern Connecticut State
- 1982 Bloomsburg State
Junior/Community College
- 1975 Golden West def. Northeastern Colorado 22-0, perfect game
- 1976 Golden West
- 1977 Golden West
Slowpitch [Softball]
After the last AIAW competition, collegiate national championships in slow-pitch softball were conducted in 1983 and 1984 by the Amateur Softball Association. The University of South Florida won both. It appears that most of the college women's slow-pitch teams at that time were from Florida and North Carolina.Swimming">Swimming (sport)">Swimming and diving">Diving (sport)">diving
Division I (no division 1968–1976, Large College 1977–1979)
- 1968 Arizona State '
- 1969 Arizona State '
- 1970 Arizona State '
- 1971 Arizona State '
- 1972 West Chester State '
- 1973 Arizona State
- 1974 Arizona State
- 1975 Miami
- 1976 Miami
- 1977 Arizona State
- 1978 Arizona State
- 1979 Florida
- 1980 Stanford
- 1981 Texas
- 1982''' Texas
Division II (Small College 1977–1979)
- 1977 Clarion State
- 1978 Clarion State
- 1979 Nevada-Reno
- 1980 Clarion State
- 1981 Clarion State
- 1982 Clarion State
Division III
[Synchronized swimming]
- 1977 Ohio State
- 1978 Ohio State
- 1979 Ohio State
- 1980 Ohio State, Arizona
- 1981 Arizona
- 1982 Ohio State
[Tennis]
Division I (no division 1968–1976, Large College 1977–1979)
AIAW championship 1977–82. Team championships were also bestowed from 1967 to 1979 by the United States Lawn Tennis Association. From 1958 to 1979, the USLTA also crowned individual collegiate national champions in singles and doubles.- 1967 Odessa College, Stanford
- 1968 Trinity
- 1969 Trinity
- 1970 Odessa College
- 1971 Arizona State
- 1972 Arizona State
- 1973 Trinity
- 1974 Arizona State
- 1975 Trinity
- 1976 Trinity
- 1977 USC ‡
- 1978 Stanford ‡
- 1979 USC
- 1980 USC
- 1981 UCLA
- 1982 Indiana
Division II (Small College 1977–1979)
- 1977 Tennessee-Chattanooga
- 1978 Tennessee-Chattanooga
- 1979 Tennessee-Chattanooga
- 1980 Cal Poly-Pomona
- 1981 Cal Poly-Pomona
- 1982 Richmond
Division III
- 1980 UC Davis
- 1981 UC Davis
- 1982 Mary Washington
Junior/Community College
Track and field
Indoor track and field
The first official AIAW indoor track and field championship was held in 1980. Invitational meets held in 1978 and 1979 served as unofficial championships.| Edition | Date | Venue | Winner | |
| 1978 AIAW Indoor [Track and Field Championships|] | March 17-18, 1978 | Columbia, Missouri | ||
| [1979 AIAW Indoor Track and Field Championships|] | March 2-3, 1979 | Columbia, Missouri | ||
| [1980 AIAW Indoor Track and Field Championships|] | March 7-8, 1980 | Columbia, Missouri | ||
| [1981 AIAW Indoor Track and Field Championships|] | March 13-14, 1981 | Pocatello, Idaho | ||
| [1982 AIAW Indoor Track and Field Championships|] | March 12-13, 1982 | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
From 1983 through the present the NCAA has sponsored a women's team championship.
Outdoor track and field
Division I (no division 1969–1980)
DGWS and AIAW championships were held from 1969 to 1982. The first National Intercollegiate Track and Field Championship was sponsored by DGWS in the spring of 1969.| Edition | Date | Venue | Winner | |
| [1969 DGWS Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1969 | |||
| [1970 DGWS Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1970 | |||
| [1971 DGWS Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1971 | |||
| [1972 DGWS Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1972 | |||
| [1973 AIAW Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1973 | |||
| [1974 AIAW Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1974 | |||
| [1975 AIAW Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1975 | |||
| [1976 AIAW Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1976 | |||
| [1977 AIAW Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1977 | |||
| [1978 AIAW Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1978 | |||
| [1979 AIAW Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1979 | |||
| [1980 AIAW Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1980 | |||
| [1981 AIAW Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1981 | |||
| [1982 AIAW Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships|] | 1982 |
From 1982 through the present the NCAA has sponsored a women's team championship.
Division II
Division III
- 1981 Cal State-Hayward
- 1982 Wisconsin–La Crosse
[Volleyball]
Division I (no division 1969–1974, Large College 1975–1978)
AIAW championship 1973–82. Previously administered by the Division of Girls' and Women's Sports.- 1969–70 Sul Ross State def. UCLA '
- 1970–71 Sul Ross State def. Long Beach State
- 1971–72 UCLA def. Long Beach State
- 1972–73 Long Beach State def. Brigham Young
- 1973 Long Beach State def. Texas Woman's
- 1974 UCLA def. Hawaii
- 1975 UCLA def. Hawaii
- 1976 USC def. UCLA
- 1977 USC def. Hawaii
- 1978 Utah State def. UCLA
- 1979 Hawaii def. Utah State
- 1980 USC def. Pacific
- 1981''' Texas def. Portland State
Division II (Small College 1975–1978)
- 1975 Texas Lutheran
- 1976 Texas Lutheran
- 1977 UC Riverside
- 1978 Florida Technological University
- 1979 Hawaii-Hilo
- 1980 Cal State Northridge
- 1981 Hawaii-Hilo
Division III
- 1979 Azusa Pacific
- 1980 Sacramento State
- 1981 La Verne
Junior/Community College
- 1974 Eastern Arizona College
- 1975 Ricks College
- 1976 Mesa Community College
- 1977 Santa Ana College