AIAW (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women)

The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) was an organization founded in 1971 to oversee and promote college sports for women. It provided national championships and supported female athletes in an era when most college sports were traditionally male-dominated. The AIAW aimed to advance women's athletics through representation, education, and establishing standards. In the early 1980s, many schools shifted their support to the NCAA, which began offering women's championships, leading to the decline of the AIAW. Today, the legacy of the AIAW is recognized for its vital role in advancing women’s collegiate sports.