The History of Women\u27s Basketball at South Dakota State University

Before Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball, intercollegiate sports for women were virtually nonexistent. Women started playing the game of basketball in 1892, a year after Naismith introduced the game. In the time span that it has existed, basketball is considered the fastest growing women\u27s intercollegiate sport and it has been influential in the history of women\u27s athletics in America\u27s colleges. South Dakota State University is one of those universities that adopted women\u27s basketball. The women\u27s program at SDSU experienced the changes and controversy as the years progressed. Therefore, a study of women\u27s basketball at SDSU will give an historical perspective of the evolution of the game at the university. The purpose of this study was to trace the development of women\u27s basketball at SDSU from 1966 to 1996. One cannot hope to comprehend athletics today unless there is an understanding of the concepts of the past that helped shape the present events and methods. Historical studies in the history of men\u27s basketball at sosu has been researched, but a history of women\u27s basketball program had never been documented. SDSU women basketball players, coaches and administrators from 1966-1996 were used to provide information. The study used newspapers, yearbooks and personal interviews to complete the story of women\u27s basketball at SDSU. The interviews were the research technique to collect data relative to the categories of: coaches played for, rule changes, governing associations, inequalities faced, facilities, attire, scholarships.and recruiting. V Studying the history of women\u27s basketball at SDSU, a wide and appreciative angle of the program was revealed. The research explained how the basketball program today is a result of the occurrences or changes that happened in the past. The study shows how far women\u27s basketball has come at SDSU in comparison to the evolution of the men\u27s and women\u27s game at the national level