50 Years of Title IX - California Golden Bears Athletics

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, GOLDEN IMPACT

50 YEARS OF TITLE IX CELEBRATION

June 23rd, 1972

June 23rd, 2022 marks the 50th Anniversary of Title IX. Cal Athletics aims to celebrate female student-athletes, alumni, coaches, and staff who have helped build Cal Athletics’ legacy and reputation of excellence in women’s sports.

TITLE IX FEATURE GAMES

Field Hockey vs. UNC - September 9th
Men's & Women's Golf @ Blessings Collegiate Invitational - October 3rd-5th
Men's Water Polo vs. USC - October 15th
Football vs. Oregon - October 29th
Men's Soccer vs. Oregon State - October 30th
Women's Soccer vs. Utah - October 30th
Volleyball vs. Colorado - November 4th
Women's Swimming & Diving vs. USC - January 27th
Women's Basketball vs. Oregon State- January 29th
Men's Swimming & Diving vs. USC - February 3rd
Women's Gymnastics vs. UCLA - February 18th
Rugby vs. Utah - February 18th
Men's Basketball vs. Washington - February 23rd
Men's Gymnastics vs. Army, William & Mary - March 11th
Women's Water Polo vs. Indiana - March 18th
Beach Volleyball vs. Stanford - March 18th
Men's Tennis vs. UCLA - April 7th
Track and Field , Brutus Hamilton Meet - April 8th
Women's Tennis vs. Washington State - April 14th
Baseball vs. Oregon - April 22nd
Men's Rowing @ UW Dual - April 22nd
Women's Rowing vs. Iowa and SMU - April 29th
Softball vs. Oregon - April 29th

Heather Petri, Kirk Everist, Chris Lane. California Golden Bear vs USC Trojans at Spieker Aquatics Complex; Men's Water Polo

Golden Girls,October 29, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; FB: California Golden Bear vs Oregon Ducks at California Memorial Stadium; Photo credit: Catharyn Hayne/KLC Fotos / klcfotos.com

October 30, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; Soccer: California Golden Bears vs Utah at Edwards Stadium; (Photo credit: Darren Yamashita/KLC fotos)

California Golden Bears vs. North Carolina Tarheels at Underhill Field; Cal Field Hockey

Men's & Women's Golf @ Blessings Collegiate Invitational

,October 29, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; FB: California Golden Bear vs Oregon Ducks at California Memorial Stadium; Photo credit: Catharyn Hayne/KLC Fotos / klcfotos.com

Cameron Institute and Big C Society: Welcome Back BBQ.

January 29, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Women’s Basketball: California Golden Bears vs. Oregon State Beavers at Haas Pavilion. Cal Cheerleading (Photo credit: Al Sermeno/KLC fotos)

January 29, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; Women’s Basketball: California Golden Bears vs. Oregon State Beavers at Haas Pavilion. Jayda Curry (30) (Photo credit: Al Sermeno/KLC fotos)

TELL YOUR STORY

Cal Community - if you would like to be featured and get involved with our Title IX efforts, we would love to hear from you.

Please fill out this google form to share your story and/or nominate a woman who inspires you.

EDUCATION

Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.
Title IX states: “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.”
June 23, 2022 marks the 50th year anniversary of Congress passing Title IX.
Since Title IX passed in 1972, female athletic participation has exploded by 1,063%. More than 90% of women in C-suite executive level positions say they played sports. Girls who participate in sports are more likely to graduate from high school and college, and are less likely to use drugs or experience an unplanned pregnancy.

Early Women’s Athletics History at Cal

Women’s intercollegiate competition dates back to 1896 when Cal and Stanford met in the first collegiate women’s basketball game. “Play days” focused on fencing and field hockey in the early 1900s, with teams from most Bay Area colleges participating. Through the 1960s, as the first conference affiliates were being formed, the student-run Women’s Athletic Association generated intercollegiate competition. In November 1973, Barbara Hoepner was named part-time coordinator of the women’s sports program under the auspices of the Physical Education Department. In March 1976, then-Chancellor Albert Bowker made the decision to create the Department of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics.

Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics

“We’re on our way.”

That was the slogan adopted by Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics (WIA) as the Bears embarked on their first year as an officially recognized department on the Cal campus in 1976-77. WIA operated out of four rooms in a corner of Hearst Gymnasium, but the spirit of the coaches and staff in getting the fledgling department off the ground was contagious. Women’s teams in basketball, rowing, cross country, field hockey, gymnastics, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball, as well as coed teams in fencing and badminton, quickly established themselves as contenders on conference and regional levels.

Changes in the sports sponsored came during the mid-1980s, when fencing and badminton were dropped and soccer, which proved to be immediately successful on a national scale, was added. Tennis, swimming and softball established themselves as perennial top-10 teams, and individual honors of every description were earned by Golden Bear women.

With the advent of the Pac-10 and the NCAA championships in the 1980s, Cal continued its national prominence in women’s sports. Teams in golf, water polo and lacrosse were added in the 1990s, and beach volleyball was added in the 2000s. WIA merged with the men’s athletic department in 1992, and today, Cal Athletics sponsors 16 women’s sports.

Notable Leaders in the Establishment of Women’s Athletics at Cal

Albert Bowker – When Chancellor Albert Bowker established the Department of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics in March of 1976, he realized the best environment would be one where the focus could be on female student-athletes. His open-mindedness about the role of women in sports and support of the department in its early years was instrumental in the growth of the program. Without his vision at the onset, women’s sports at Cal would not have achieved their level of success. His loyalty to Cal women’s athletics extended beyond his retirement, as he continued to support the department financially after he left the university.

Robert Kerley – More than any other campus administrator, Robert Kerley helped WIA grow and thrive. As vice chancellor for administration, Kerley was directly responsible for the supervision of the department in its early years. His ability to generate support in the university community and his skill in mentoring the department staff was invaluable. Kerley supervised WIA until his retirement in 1982.

Dr. Luella Lilly – From her childhood days as an American-record holder in swimming, Lue Lilly seemed destined to play a pivotal role in the development of women’s sports. Her journey included varsity competition in six sports at Lewis & Clark College, a stint as director of women’s physical education and intramurals at Oregon State, collegiate coaching experience in six sports at four colleges, and athletic director roles at American River College and the University of Nevada. She came to Cal from Nevada in 1976 to become the first full-time director of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics.
Starting in 1976 with a budget of $250,000 for a 12-sport program, Lilly did a remarkable job building Cal into a national leader in women’s athletics. She used her skills in attracting talented coaches, juggling the budget, and garnering campus support to implement her vision of Cal as a model for academic and athletic excellence. Female student-athletes at Cal owe a debt of gratitude to Lilly for their opportunities to compete as Golden Bears.

Joan Parker – Only one person spans the continuum from participant and coach before women’s sports were officially recognized on the Cal campus through the establishment of WIA and the merger with the men’s program. Joan Parker competed in three sports – tennis, basketball and badminton as a Cal undergraduate, and coaches five teams – tennis, basketball, badminton, softball and volleyball – during her years on the UC Berkeley Physical Education faculty. Parker worked in almost every capacity in WIA and was named the National Fundraiser of the Year in 1991 for her efforts. A nationally recognized administrator who served on the executive board of the AIAW, Parker retired from Cal after 36 years of service.

Sport – First year of intercollegiate athletics competition

Basketball – 1973-74
Beach Volleyball – 2014
Crew – 1977
Cross Country – 1976-77
Field Hockey – 1976
Golf – 1995-96
Gymnastics – 1974
Lacrosse – 1999
Soccer – 1982
Softbal – 1972
Swimming & Diving – 1976-77
Tennis – 1976-77
Track & Field – 1972
Volleyball – 1975
Water Polo – 1996

Discontinued Sport – Year discontinued

Women’s fencing – 1976-82
Women’s badminton – 1976-82

PHILANTHROPY

“To excel as ambassadors of the No. 1 public university in the world, we need the collective support of the Cal family. Athletics’ vision focuses on three priorities: the student-athlete experience, competitive success, and attracting and retaining the best people to our department. Each goal offers unique opportunities to impact our female student-athletes’ overall development and to position the Golden Bears to compete for national and conference championships. To create that environment and to be exceptional academically and athletically requires the best coaches, practice facilities, weight rooms, nutrition programs, academic support, career counselors, and so much more. By supporting our three priorities, you will enhance our female student-athletes’ time in Berkeley, prepare them for their lives as alumni, and deepen your connections to Cal Athletics in the process. Cal Athletics and the university are aligned regarding the importance of dedicating resources and support to create exceptional student-athlete experiences. With your partnership, we can impact future generations of Golden Bears and make the Cal community proud for years to come.” – Jim Knowlton Director of Athletics

Campaign for Cal Athletics Excellence

Campaign for Cal Athletics Excellence brochure
Campaign Goal: Raise philanthropic support for all women’s programs within Cal Athletics. Celebrate impact of annual gifts, share scholarship support and goals, highlight head coaches endowments, and develop a community of supporters while building a pipeline of future success.

To make a gift to support our female student-athletes, please click here.

For more information, please contact us at CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call 510.642.2427.

Provide Access

Cal strives to be the first-choice destination for student- athletes who value the pursuit of academic and athletic excellence, and who will passionately pursue their professional aspirations. To attract these elite student- athletes, we must strive to be exceptional in everything we do to support the young men and women who juggle rigorous course loads, and balance intense training and competitive demands while they represent the university.

Gifts to an annual sports fund provide sports equipment, team travel, performance nutrition, and academic necessities for our student-athletes as they compete for national championships. By supporting one of our athletics programs, you will have a direct impact on our student-athletes and the annual needs in the year the gift is given.

Provide Scholarship Opportunities

Our 14 women’s programs have the opportunity to provide 169 scholarships in accordance with NCAA policy. It is our goal to be able to award all 169 of these scholarships by the end of the campaign (December 2023)! As of June 2022, we are just 11 scholarships shy of this total. We are seeking to add scholarships to women’s crew, field hockey, lacrosse and beach volleyball to bring their scholarship counts to the NCAA limit.

Each year, Cal Athletics funds more than $16 million in scholarships to support our student-athletes. Each investment of $500,000 or $1M towards a Cal women’s team below the NCAA maximum for its sport will establish a new partially endowed or endowed scholarship. This is an exclusive opportunity through 2023 during the “Light the Way” campus-wide campaign to build a stronger Berkeley. Scholarship endowments allow us to continue to lay the foundation for our programs. The creation of scholarships will impact the lives of student-athletes for generations to come, and your interest in matching scholarship gifts will spark others to step up to provide exceptional experiences for our female future leaders.

An endowed scholarship is one of the most effective and permanent ways to support both student-athletes and the entire Cal Athletics department. An endowed scholarship would allow Cal Athletics to recruit the top academic and athletic candidates from around the globe and foster an environment of extraordinary success in the scholarly, social, cultural, and sporting opportunities available at the best public university in the world.

The payout from an endowed scholarship will not only have an immediate impact on the budget, but it will have a lasting effect that will only grow over time. We are honored to recognize an endowed scholarship not only with a named fund of your choosing but also with a named plaque with your student-athlete placed on the walls of Haas Pavilion, as well as at our annual Scholarship Dinner. Investing in a student is the definition of creating a legacy for the future both for that student and the generations of student-athletes who will follow.

GET INVOLVED

Title IX feature games

Field Hockey vs. UNC - September 9th
Men's & Women's Golf @ Blessings Collegiate Invitational - October 3rd-5th
Men's Water Polo vs. USC - October 15th
Football vs. Oregon - October 29th
Men's Soccer vs. Oregon State - October 30th
Women's Soccer vs. Utah - October 30th
Volleyball vs. Colorado - November 4th
Women's Soccer vs. Utah - October 30th
Women's Swimming & Diving vs. USC - January 27th
Women's Basketball vs. Oregon State- January 29th
Men's Swimming & Diving vs. USC - February 3rd
Women's Gymnastics vs. UCLA - February 18th
Rugby vs. Utah - February 18th
Men's Basketball vs. Washington - February 23rd
Men's Gymnastics vs. Army, William & Mary - March 11th
Women's Water Polo vs. Indiana - March 18th
Beach Volleyball vs. Stanford - March 18th
Men's Tennis vs. UCLA - April 7th
Track and Field , Brutus Hamilton Meet - April 8th
Women's Tennis vs. Washington State - April 14th
Baseball vs. Oregon - Saturday - April 22nd
Men's Rowing @ UW Dual - Saturday - April 22nd
Women's Rowing vs. Iowa and SMU - April 29th
Softball vs. Oregon - Saturday - April 29th

Celebration Event

June 2023

2022-03-27 Nikki Zaccaro Cal Career Assist Record Cal Falls At Colorado, 16-10

2022 PAC-12 WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS SESSION 2 - UTAH, CALIFORNIA, OREGON STATE, ARIZONA STATE

2022-03-18 Kennedy Goss Cal Falls To No. 15 USC In Return To Pac-12 Play

Women’s Gymnastics: California Golden Bears at Arizona State Sun Devils

Beach Volleyball: California Golden Bears at Cal State Northridge

Isabel Ivey at 2022 Pac-12 Championships

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.

– TITLE IX OF THE EDUCATION AMENDMENTS OF 1972

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, GOLDEN IMPACT

50 YEARS OF TITLE IX CELEBRATION

June 23rd, 1972

June 23rd, 2022 marks the 50th Anniversary of Title IX. Cal Athletics aims to celebrate female student-athletes, alumni, coaches, and staff who have helped build Cal Athletics’ legacy and reputation of excellence in women’s sports.

TITLE IX FEATURE GAMES

TELL YOUR STORY

Cal Community - if you would like to be featured and get involved with our Title IX efforts, we would love to hear from you.

EDUCATION

Early Women’s Athletics History at Cal

Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics

Notable Leaders in the Establishment of Women’s Athletics at Cal

Sport – First year of intercollegiate athletics competition

Discontinued Sport – Year discontinued

Notable Women Athletes from Cal in the Pre-Title IX Era

PHILANTHROPY

Campaign for Cal Athletics Excellence

Provide Access

Provide Scholarship Opportunities

Team and individual competitive success.

Invest in women's sports facilities

Attract and retain the best people

Head Coach Endowments

GET INVOLVED

Title IX feature games

Celebration Event

Cal will share an impactful story surrounding TItle IX monthly. Amplify these stories with your networks.

Spread the Word!

Ambassador Guide (in development, coming soon!)

Connect with Cal Bears