WSU and the Cougar Athletic Fund announced plans on Thursday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX with their Power of IX campaign, according to a release from WSU Athletics.

June 23 will mark 50 years since the creation of Title IX, a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in programs that receive funding from the federal government.

WSU has its own role in Title IX history with Blair v. WSU. Karen Troianello (then Karen Blair) was a track athlete at WSU. She would be the face of the case that would ultimately change college athletics in the state of Washington and nationally. 

The lawsuit resulted in greater funding for women’s collegiate athletics across the Evergreen state. 

Now, WSU looks to celebrate the landmark results with their new campaign. The Power of IX campaign will run throughout 2022 and will feature events and plans that will impact the future of women’s sports at WSU as a whole. 

Things kick off at 7 p.m. on Feb. 11 as the Cougars host UCLA’s women’s basketball team inside Beasley Coliseum. The game will be free to anyone 17 and under and marks the beginning of the athletics department’s campaign.

The Cougar Athletic Fund will be creating the Power of IX Excellence Fund to focus on promoting and providing resources to women’s sports at WSU. This will coincide with a three-week fundraiser starting on March 7 featuring stories of past and present WSU athletes, coaches and administrators.

On March 8, WSU Athletics will host a women’s empowerment forum featuring alumni, coaches, faculty and staff.

In September, WSU will induct an all-female class into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Power of IX campaign will bring more deserved attention to the achievements of WSU women’s athletics.