AIAW Champions

Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Field Hockey Champions
1975-81

The AIAW

Before the NCAA adopted women's athletics under its umbrella of collegiate championships, the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) governed women's collegiate sports and conducted the first championships for women.

Established and administered by women in 1971, the AIAW promoted athletics differently from the NCAA, allowing
women to freely transfer from school to school while
originally prohibiting scholarships and off-campus recruiting.

As recognized by  the U.S. Field Hockey Association, the AIAW sponsored its first collegiate field hockey championship in 1975 at the USFHA National Tournament (now the National Hockey Festival) in Harrisonburg, Va.. By 1980, the AIAW had expanded to 41 national championships in 19 sports.

However, just as the AIAW continued to grow, the NCAA narrowly approved a full governance plan for women's athletics that allowed member institutions to be eligible for NCAA women's championships and included slots on the NCAA Council for women and women's sports committees to conduct the championships

With the passing of the plan, AIAW membership quicky declined, and by 1982, the organization ceased its operations. However, the pioneering spirit of the AIAW's leaders was not lost. Just a few years later, many of the organization's leaders would go on to serve in similar capacities on NCAA committees including US Field Hockey president Sharon Taylor (Vice President Divison III AIAW/Chair NCAA II Field Hockey Committee).