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. The winners of the AIAW tournaments from 1972 to 1981 are recognized as the national champions for those years.

History 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.

Sixteen teams were invited to the AIAW 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. Beginning in 1975, the AIAW divided its teams into divisions, and held separate tournaments for Division II and Division III teams.

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.)

Pre-NCAA statistics, based on AIAW Archives, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.

Division I/large college

CIAW 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 YearWinnerScoreOpponentVenue1972Immaculata52–48West Chester StateNormal, Illinois1973Immaculata (2)59–52Queens CollegeFlushing, New York1974Immaculata (3)68–53Mississippi CollegeManhattan, Kansas1975Delta State90–81ImmaculataHarrisonburg, Virginia1976Delta State (2)69–64ImmaculataState College, Pennsylvania1977Delta State (3)68–55LSUMinneapolis, Minnesota1978UCLA90–74MarylandLos Angeles, California1979Old Dominion75–65Louisiana TechGreensboro, North Carolina1980Old Dominion (2)68–53TennesseeMount Pleasant, Michigan1981Louisiana Tech79–59TennesseeEugene, Oregon1982Rutgers83–77TexasPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania

Team appearances The code in each cell represents the furthest the team made it in the respective tournament: National Champion National Runner-up , , Semifinals (3rd-4th place) , , , Quarterfinals (5th-8th place) , Round of 12 or 16 (9th-16th place) Play-in Round (Starting 1980) Round of 24 (17th-24th place)

TeamApps.7273747576777879808182Arkansas1 T16 Baylor 2 T12 5th Boise State 1 T16 Boston University1 T24 Brigham Young3 T12 T12 T16 California1 QFUC Riverside 1 T12 Cal State Fullerton5 3rd T12 3rd T12 T16 Central Missouri State2 T24 T16Cheyney State2 T24 QF Clemson1 T24 Colorado2 T24 T16Delta State4 CH CH CH QFDetroit1 T24 District of Columbia1 T8 East Carolina1 T12 East Stroudsburg State2 QF T16 Fordham1 QF Fresno State1 T16 Georgia Southern1 T16Georgia State1 T24 Illinois State3 T16 T12 T16 Immaculata6 CH CH CH RU RU 4th Indiana3 QF 4th T8 Indiana State1 T16 Jackson State1 T16 James Madison1 T16 Kansas3 T12 T16 T16 Kansas State6 T12 T16 6th T12 T12 T16 Kentucky2 T24 T16 Lehman1 T16 Long Beach State6 T12 T16 T12 T12 QF QF Louisiana Tech3 RU 4th CH LSU1 RU Maryland4 RU QF QF QF Mercer2 QF T24 Miami (OH)1 T16Michigan State1 T16 Minnesota3 T16 T24 QFMississippi1 T12 Mississippi College3 RU T8 T12 Mississippi Women1 4th Missouri2 T12 T12 Montana1 T16 Montclair State 2 6th 3rd North Carolina State3 QF T16 T16 Northern Illinois1 QF Northwestern3 QF T16 T24 Ohio State2 T12 T16 Old Dominion3 CH CH 3rd Oregon2 T16 T16 Oregon State2 T16 T24 Penn State 1 T16 Phillips1 QF Portland State 1 T16 Providence1 T16 Queens (NY)5 T12 RU T8 T12 T12 QF Rutgers4 T12 T24 T16 CHSt. John's (NY)1 T16Saint Joseph's1 T12 San Francisco1 T24 South Carolina2 T12 3rd South Dakota State1 T16 USC2 T24 4th Southern Connecticut8 T12 3rd 3rd 4th T8 6th QF T12 Stephen F. Austin6 QF T12 T12 QF QF T16 Syracuse1 T24 Tennessee5 3rd T16 3rd RU RU Tennessee Tech5 T16 6th T12 5th T8 Tennessee–Martin1 QF Texas3 T16 T24 RUUCLA3 CH 4th QF Utah3 T16 T8 T16 Utah State4 T12 T16 T16 T16 Valdosta State2 T12 T12 Vanderbilt1 T16Villanova1 SFWashington1 T16 Washington State1 T16 Wayland Baptist6 5th 5th 3rd 4th QF SFWest Chester State1 RU West Georgia1 T16 Western Washington3 QF T12 T16 William Penn3 4th T8 4th Wisconsin1 QF Wisconsin–La Crosse1 T16

Division II/small college

Results YearWinnerScoreOpponentVenue1975Phillips—TalladegaPueblo, Colorado1976Berry (GA)68–62West GeorgiaAshland, Ohio1977Southeastern Louisiana92–76PhillipsPomona, California1978High Point92–88South Carolina StateFlorence, South Carolina1979South Carolina State75–65DaytonFargo, North Dakota1980Dayton83–53College of CharlestonDayton, Ohio1981William Penn64–51College of CharlestonDayton, Ohio1982Francis Marion92–63College of CharlestonCharleston, South Carolina

Appearances TeamApps.76777879808182Abilene Christian1 QF Air Force2 R16 R24 Arkansas–Monticello1 R16 Arkansas Tech1 R16 Ashland2 4th QF Berry (GA)4 CH 3rd 3rd R16 Biola5 R16 4th 4th R16 QFCal State Los Angeles1 R16 Cal Poly Pomona4 R16 QF QF 3rd Carson-Newman1 R24 Centenary (LA)1 FRCharleston (WV)(Morris Harvey)2 QF QF College of Charleston3 RU RU RUColorado College2 R16 R16 Dayton5 R16 R16 RU CH R16 Eastern Connecticut1 R16 Eastern Illinois 1 QF Eastern New Mexico1 R16 Eastern Washington2 R16 R16 Emporia State1 R16 Florida International1 FRFordham1 R16 Fort Lewis1 R16 Francis Marion4 QF QF R16 CHGeorge Williams1 R16 Grand View1 R16 High Point3 QF CH QF Hofstra1 R24 Idaho2 R24 R16 Langston1 R16 Lenoir-Rhyne2 QF 4th Livingston2 R16 QFLouisiana College2 4th QF Midland Lutheran1 QF Montana State Billings(Eastern Montana)2 R16 R16 Morgan State 2 QF R16 Nebraska–Omaha1 R24 Niagara2 3rd R24 North Dakota State2 R16 SFPepperdine2 QF R16 Phillips (OK)2 3rd RU Princeton1 QF St. John Fisher1 R16 St. Peter's1 R16 Salisbury State1 R16 San Francisco1 R16 Seton Hall2 R16 QF Seton Hill1 R16 Shorter1 R16 South Carolina State3 RU CH R16 Southeast Missouri State1 R24 Southeastern Louisiana4 R16 CH QF R16 Southwest Missouri State1 R16 Springfield1 R16 Tarkio2 QF R16 Texas Wesleyan1 R16 Tougaloo1 QF Tuskegee2 4th QF Union (KY)1 QF Ursinus1 R16 West Georgia3 RU R16 R24 William Carey1 R16 William Penn4 QF 3rd CH SF

Division III

Results YearWinnerScoreOpponentVenue1980Worcester State76–73Wisconsin–La CrosseSpokane, Washington1981Wisconsin–La Crosse79–71Mount MercyDayton, Ohio1982Concordia–Moorhead73–72Mount MercyCedar Rapids, Iowa

Appearances TeamApps.808182Adrian1 R16 Aquinas1 T8Bethany1 R16 Biola1 QF Bridgewater (VA)1 R24 UC Davis1 QF Christopher Newport1 R24 Columbia (SC)2 R24 R16 Concordia–Moorhead1 CHConcordia (OR)1 R16 Eastern Connecticut State1 R16 Elizabethtown2 R24 QF Juniata1 QF Knoxville2 QF QFLee (TN)1 QF Linfield1 R24 Malone1 QFMcMurry1 R16 Millersville State1 4thMinnesota–Morris1 R16 Mount Mercy3 4th RU RUNotre Dame de Namur1 R16 Pacific Lutheran1 R24 Pitt Johnstown2 R16 4th Rhode Island College 1 R16 Roanoke 1 R16 San Francisco State2 QF QF Scranton1 3rd Spring Arbor2 R24 R16 Tarleton State2 R16 R16 Western Oregon1 R16 Willamette1 R24 Wisconsin–La Crosse2 RU CH Wisconsin–Whitewater2 R16 3rdWorcester State2 CH 3rd

Junior/community college

1973 Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College 1974 Anderson College (South Carolina) 1975 Anderson College 1976 Anderson College 1977 Anderson College

See also 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

Sources