The AIAW women's basketball tournament was a national tournament for women's collegiate basketball teams in the United States, held annually from 1972 to 1982.[1][2] The winners of the AIAW tournaments from 1972 to 1981 are recognized as the national champions for those years.[3][4][5][6]
| Formerly | CIAW Tournament |
|---|---|
| Sport | Basketball |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Ceased | 1982 |
| Replaced by | NCAA tournament |
| No. of teams | 16 / 24 |
| Country |  United States |
| Most titles | Immaculata, Delta State (3 each) |
| TV partner(s) | NBC (championship game) |
History edit
The AIAW tournament was discontinued after the NCAA began sponsoring a women's collegiate basketball tournament in 1982. (In 1982, both the AIAW and NCAA sponsored competing tournaments.) The AIAW tournament was preceded by a tournament sponsored by the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (CIAW), which was held from 1969 to 1971.[1]
Sixteen teams were invited to the tournament following qualifying rounds played on college campuses (except 24 teams were invited for the 1980 and 1981 tournaments). Ten of the sixteen teams were the winners of regional tournaments. The country had nine regions, but the Eastern regional was subdivided in a Region 1A and a Region 1B. The winners of those regional championships automatically proceeded to the National tournament, then a selection committee chose additional teams based upon considerations for individual team performance and geographical balance.[7] Beginning in 1975, the AIAW divided its teams into divisions, and held separate tournaments for Division II and Division III teams.
Pre-NCAA statistics, based on AIAW Archives, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.[8]
Division I/Large College edit
CIAW edit
- 1969 West Chester (Pennsylvania) def. Western Carolina 65-39 (CIAW invitational tournament, six player format)
- 1970 Cal State-Fullerton def. West Chester 50-46 (CIAW invitational tournament, six player format)
- 1971 Mississippi State College for Women def. West Chester 57-55 (CIAW qualification tournament)
AIAW edit
Team appearances edit
The code in each cell represents the furthest the team made it in the respective tournament:
- CH National Champion
- RU National Runner-up
- SF , 3rd , 4th Semifinals (3rd-4th place)
- QF , 5th , 6th , T8 Quarterfinals (5th-8th place)
- T12 , T16 Round of 12 or 16 (9th-16th place)
- T24 Play-in Round (Starting 2013) Round of 24 (17th-24th place)
Division II/Small College edit
Results edit
Appearances edit
Division III edit
Results edit
| Year | Winner | Score | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Worcester State | 76–73 | Wisconsin–La Crosse | Spokane, Washington |
| 1981 | Wisconsin–La Crosse | 79–71 | Mount Mercy | Dayton, Ohio |
| 1982 | Concordia–Moorhead | 73–72 | Mount Mercy | Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
Appearances edit
| Team | Apps. | 80 | 81 | 82 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian | 1 | R16 | ||
| Aquinas | 1 | T8 | ||
| Bethany | 1 | R16 | ||
| Biola | 1 | QF | ||
| Bridgewater (VA) | 1 | R24 | ||
| UC Davis | 1 | QF | ||
| Christopher Newport | 1 | R24 | ||
| Columbia (SC) | 2 | R24 | R16 | |
| Concordia–Moorhead | 1 | CH | ||
| Concordia (OR) | 1 | R16 | ||
| Eastern Connecticut State | 1 | R16 | ||
| Elizabethtown | 2 | R24 | QF | |
| Juniata | 1 | QF | ||
| Knoxville | 2 | QF | QF | |
| Lee (TN) | 1 | QF | ||
| Linfield | 1 | R24 | ||
| Malone | 1 | QF | ||
| McMurry | 1 | R16 | ||
| Millersville State | 1 | 4th | ||
| Minnesota–Morris | 1 | R16 | ||
| Mount Mercy | 3 | 4th | RU | RU |
| Notre Dame de Namur | 1 | R16 | ||
| Pacific Lutheran | 1 | R24 | ||
| Pitt Johnstown | 2 | R16 | 4th | |
| Rhode Island College | 1 | R16 | ||
| Roanoke | 1 | R16 | ||
| San Francisco State | 2 | QF | QF | |
| Scranton | 1 | 3rd | ||
| Spring Arbor | 2 | R24 | R16 | |
| Tarleton State | 2 | R16 | R16 | |
| Western Oregon | 1 | R16 | ||
| Willamette | 1 | R24 | ||
| Wisconsin–La Crosse | 2 | RU | CH | |
| Wisconsin–Whitewater | 2 | R16 | 3rd | |
| Worcester State | 2 | CH | 3rd |
Junior/Community College edit
- 1973 Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College
- 1974 Anderson College (South Carolina)
- 1975 Anderson College
- 1976 Anderson College
- 1977 Anderson College
See also edit
- National Women's Invitational Tournament
- NAIA Women's Basketball Championships – began 1981
- NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament – began 1982
- NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament – began 1982
- NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament – began 1982
- Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
- Major women's sport leagues in North America
References edit
- ^ a b Gregory Cooper. "Women's College Basketball Championship History Page". Archived from the original on 2009-10-26. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
- ^ "NCAA Record Book" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-05-24.
- ^ Litsky, Frank (March 12, 1995). "When Small Schools Ruled Women's Game". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
- ^ Amdur, Neil (April 7, 2002). "A Small College Link to Women's Game". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
- ^ "Women's Basketball Hall of Fame: Historical Timeline". Archived from the original on 2009-06-21. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
- ^ "Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: Cathy Rush Biography". Archived from the original on 2009-08-31. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
- ^ Hult & Trekell 1991, p. 288
- ^ "Pre-NCAA Statistical Leaders and AIAW Results" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
Sources edit
- Hult, Joan S.; Trekell, Marianna (1991). A Century of women's basketball : From Frailty to Final Four. Reston, Va: National Association for Girls and Women in Sport. ISBN 9780883144909.