AIAW

The AIAW (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) was an organization founded in 1971 to oversee and promote female college sports, providing opportunities and championships for women at a time when most athletic programs were male-dominated. It served as the main governing body for women’s collegiate athletics until the early 1980s when the NCAA began to include women’s sports. The AIAW focused on equitable competition, education, and helping female athletes gain recognition and resources, playing a key role in advancing women's sports before eventually ceasing operations in the mid-1980s as the NCAA expanded its women's programs.