University of Alabama celebrates 50 years of women’s varsity sports

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ( WIAT ) — On Tuesday, the University of Alabama held a special luncheon to celebrate 50 years of women’s sports at the Capstone.

UA Deputy Director of Athletics Karin Lee said the university was one of the first institutions to integrate gender equality into women’s varsity sports after Title IX became law. Lee said UA ensures all athletes receive the best and equal access in areas like mental health and educational resources, athletic housing and dining facilities.

During the lunch, the audience heard from different speakers such as CBS 42 evening news anchor Sherri Jackson, former UA gymnastics head coach Sarah Patterson, as well as Sue Thompson, UA law school’s first Black female graduate, to talk about ways to keep equality in athletics moving forward.

”It’s a historic momentous occasion and one that we’re proud of with the history of Alabama,” Lee said. “The conversations today will be about how to be a better leader, how to create culture conversations today will focus on leadership, how to be a better leader, how to create culture. We’re going to have student-athletes that are here, so it’s going to be a really fun occasion for them because they’ll get to meet people that they’ve never met — probably have never heard of.”

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