Ole Miss highlights 50 years of Title IX
About Title IX
This year marks the 50th Anniversary in which the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was signed.
Title IX Legislation
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.
History of Ole Miss Women's Sports
- December 3, 1974 - The Ole Miss Women's Basketball team made its debut at Itawamba Junior College under Coach Pam Davidson.
- December 4, 1974 - The Women's Basketball won the first women's competition at Ole Miss
- July 21, 1975 - Guidelines for the Education Act of 1972, Title IX, was signed into law by U.S. President Gerald R. Ford
- Diane Pearson became the first woman named to the Ole Miss Athletics Committee (1978)
- Jeanne Taylor became the first Senior Woman Administrator at Ole Miss
- 38 Academic All-Americans
- 75 NCAA Appearances
- 154 All-Americans
- 6 Individual National Champions
- 1 Team National Title (Women's Golf - 2021)
- 5 Olympic Medals
- 3 Conference Titles
Ole Miss Women's Letterwinners
Ole Miss has had a total of 1,271 women win athletic letters over the years.
- Basketball - 236
- Golf - 44
- Rifle - 79
- Soccer - 196
- Softball - 156
- Tennis - 129
- Track/Cross Country - 213
- Volleyball - 218
Rebel Olympians
It hasn't taken long for the Rebel women to make noise on an international scale, evidenced by five Olympic medals. Ole Miss has had five female Olympians, including two current Rebel coaches who competed on the Olympic stage as athletes.
- Kayla Banwarth: Volleyball (2016 - Bronze)
- Jennifer Gillom: Basketball (1988 - Gold; 2012 - Coach)
- Peggy Gillom: Basketball (2000 - Coach)
- Connie Price-Smith: Track (Athlete: 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000; Coach: 2008, 2012, 2016)
- Brittney Reese: Track (2008, 2012 - Gold, Silver; 2016 - Silver; 2021)
- Raven Saunders: Track (2016, 2021 - Silver)
- Rafaelle Souza: Soccer (2016; 2021)
- Ali Weisz: Rifle (2021)
The Future of Women's Sports
Ole Miss remains committed to creating opportunities for young women to succeed both on and off the field. The Rebels recently announced the CHAMPIONS. NOW. capital campaign, aimed at improving facilities for several of its athletic programs, including upgrades for three women's teams: softball, soccer and women's golf.