While men’s hoops featured the likes of Jerry West and David Thompson, women were not allowed to...

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While men’s hoops featured the likes of Jerry West and David Thompson, women were not allowed to...

posted by Nate Parham on Nov 21, 2010

While men’s hoops featured the likes of Jerry West and David Thompson, women were not allowed to formally compete in high school or college. Then in 1972, President Richard Nixon signed Title IX, stating that "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 educational program or activity receiving Federal assistance." That same year in Billings, Eastern Montana College women’s basketball had its inaugural season. In Montana, championship games for boy’s High School Basketball had started in 1911, while championship games for girls High School Basketball didn’t start until Title IX was signed. In that ’72 State title game Dawson County beat Powell County 43-39. By 1977 the Montana High School Association formulated the 4 League Championships, AA, A, B, and C Divisions. Manhattan Christian beat Nashua 44-37 for the first girl’s class C title in Montana

Guest Blogger: The rise of women's basketball Sometimes when federal legislation is passed, there's a lag in local adoption (think Brown vs. Board of Education, which was not adopted for over a decade after its passing in some states due to poor enforcement mechanisms). What struck me about this account of Montana women's basketball history is that Title IX was adopted to seemingly the fullest extent possible almost immediately. That's impressive and makes me wonder about how quickly Title IX was adopted on the state level (particularly with impact at the high school level) across the nation.