With the 50th anniversary of Title IX coming up in June, the Cascade Collegiate Conference takes a look at how it has impacted those in the CCC.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – When Title IX passed on June 23, 1972, it changed collegiate sports forever.
Former Eastern Oregon University coach, athletic director and professor Dr. Peggy Anderson was on the frontlines of that change. Prior to the law passing, Dr. Anderson participated in “sports days” with minimal numbers of contests and no scholarships. As Title IX came to be, Dr. Anderson was a part of creating more opportunities for women, starting numerous programs both at EOU and the University of Arizona.
Prior to Title IX, women competed in sport days were where teams would come together to play several games against other teams in a short span of time.
“Many colleges did offer sport competition, but it was sport days initially and then some school to school competitions,” said Dr. Anderson. “You would play three different teams if it was field hockey or a round-robin tournament if it was volleyball.”
Dr. Anderson helped start women’s field hockey, volleyball, basketball, and track and field in the late 60s, often competing in those sport days.
“We took advantage of the talent and interest that was at the school,” said Dr. Anderson. “There was a lack of women PE teachers and the State’s Board Higher Education folks wanted Eastern to add a Women’s Physical Education degree in 1965. Many of the young women who became majors were good athletes and expressed an interest in intercollegiate competition.”
Track and field began at EOU (then Eastern Oregon College) in the spring of 1966 and that fall the Mounties started field hockey and bowling, along with a volleyball club. EOC Volleyball – which is now a powerhouse in the Cascade Collegiate Conference and NAIA – began its inaugural season in 1967, where the Mounties went 9-6. Women’s Basketball also began that year and boasted a 3-1 record.
“In the fall 1969, Eastern Oregon won the Northwest College Women’s Sports Association “B” Volleyball Tournament,” said Dr. Anderson. “Up until 1971, EOC could enter two teams in the annual Northwest Volleyball Tournaments. The 1971 volleyball program had three squads – and their overall record was 48 wins and eight losses.”
When Title IX came around, programs adopted the men’s model. Scholarships became available and recruiting became more important.
“Prior to Title IX, most women who participated [in sports] were already enrolled in their institutions and participated for their love of the sport,” said Dr. Anderson. “It increased or improved facilities – both indoor and outdoors – plus locker rooms, etc. Sport opportunities at the high school levels also increased dramatically. Now you had coaches recruiting at that level.”
Coaching also changed with Title IX. Prior to the law, coaches also were in education. When Title IX passed, women coaches had to make the decision to stay in athletics or move to education.
In 1972, the Association of Athletics for Women (AIAW) was established. It did not initially support athletic scholarships for women, but that changed in the mid 70s when a vote was passed at the convention. It opened more opportunities for women and increased funding levels for women’s sports.
When the AIAW was at its peak, there were almost 1,000 member institutions before schools began to realize that women's athletics could be profitable. In the spring of 1982, the AIAW and NCWSA ceased operations and women’s sports either joined the NCAA or NAIA as they opened membership to women’s programs.
The CCC started as a volleyball schedule alliance in 1978. After the NAIA began offering championship opportunities for women, the CCC became an NAIA affiliated conference in 1993 and originally had nine schools: The College of Idaho, Concordia University, Eastern Oregon University, George Fox University, Northwest Nazarene University, Oregon Institute of Technology, Southern Oregon University, Western Baptist College (now Corban University), and Western Oregon University.
“Dr. Anderson was a pioneer in the development of intercollegiate athletic opportunities for women,” stated CCC Commissioner Robert Cashell. “Whether advocating as a participant, coach or administrator we owe her and others like her a debt of gratitude for the hard work done prior to and immediately following the passage of Title IX. While work continues to be done the foundation put in place in the early years has had immeasurable impact.”
Dr. Anderson, who was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2000 and the EOU Hall of Fame in 2002, turned to athletic administration in the late 80s and was a part of that transition. She even served as President of the CCC from 1989-92.
Prior to EOU, Dr. Anderson was an assistant professor of physical education at the University of Arizona, where she helped “convince the powers that be” to start a women’s track and field/cross country program and coached the team.
“Tucson had the perfect weather,” said Dr. Anderson. “Created interested by hosting an Intramural Track and Field Meet where over 200 women participated. This provided the interest necessary, and a track and field/cross country program was added. Funding was not an issue nor was scholarship opportunities as University of Arizona had potentially the same number of scholarships as the men had per legislative action when Title IX was passed. The women’s budget increased from around $100,000 for sports day tournaments for several sports, to over $600,000 so teams could have round robin schedules in the old Intermountain Conference.”
After Arizona, Dr. Anderson was an associate professor of physical education and the director of the exercise and sport performance laboratory at New Mexico Highlands. She was then asked by EOU President David Gilbert to consider taking the interim Athletic Director position in 1986.
“I decided to leave New Mexico Highlands to become a professor of PE and the head women’s volleyball coach at EOU,” said Dr. Anderson. “I was not involved in athletics at New Mexico Highlands, and I decided to apply for a position at Eastern Oregon to be closer to family that lived in the Portland area.”
When Dr. Anderson was named Athletic Director, the Mounties were officially a part of the NAIA. She became a member of the District II Executive Committee in 1987 and its Vice-Chair in 1991, later becoming the District Chair. When the NAIA went from Districts to Regions, she became the Region I Coordinating Committee and Region Chair.
Dr. Anderson was named NAIA-ADA Female Athletics Administrator of the Year in 1993 and 1995. She also earned NAIA District 2 Athletics Director of the Year honors two consecutive years (1993, 1994) and captured the NAIA District 2 Meritorious Service Award in 1994. In 1999, Dr. Anderson was named the NACDA/Continental AD of the Year NAIA.
While Dr. Anderson is no longer involved in athletics, she still likes to keep up with the Mounties and makes it out to games at times and even has a field named after her: the Peggy Anderson Softball Field.