AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament
| 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) |
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.
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.
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. Beginning in 1975, the AIAW divided its teams into divisions, and held separate tournaments for Division II and Division III teams.
Southern California, Rutgers, Villanova, Texas
The first AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament was held on March 16–19, 1972. The host site was Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Sixteen teams participated. Immaculata University, coached by Hall-of-Famer Cathy Rush, was crowned national champion at the conclusion of the tournament.
The 1973 AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament was held on March 22–25, 1973. The host site was Queens College in Flushing, New York. Sixteen teams participated, and Immaculata University was crowned national champion at the conclusion of the tournament, for the second straight year.
...
Wikipedia