“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

When President Richard Nixon signed those words of the Education Amendments of 1972 into law that June, doors once closed were opened, creating transformational opportunities in education — and athletics — to women across the country.

Since then, women's college sports have transformed dramatically. More than 218,000 female student-athletes across all NCAA divisions took part in athletics at the collegiate level as of December 2021, making up 44 percent of all NCAA student-athletes.

Compare that to fewer than 30,000 women at the college level in 1971, representing just 15 percent of the student-athlete population.

UC Davis has been a significant part of that growth as the athletic department has grown to support 16 women's athletic teams and 345 student-athletes today in their academic and athletic journeys.

In recognition of the 50th year of Title IX, UC Davis Athletics invites you to come along over the next few months as we celebrate the impact the women of this university have had on the athletic department.

A digital celebration page serves as home base for feature stories, video conversations surrounding important issues, social media posts showing the history and evolution of women's sports at UC Davis, and information about Title IX-themed games during the spring sports season.

The site will be updated leading up to the 50th anniversary of Title IX on June 23 as we shine the spotlight on the influential women that helped shape this department and why honoring their legacy by continuing to create opportunities for women is so important to UC Davis Athletics.

We encourage you to continue to bookmark and check our 50 Years of Title IX celebration page over the next four months and join us in celebrating the contributions of the incredible women of UC Davis.