Washington State Athletics will be launching a campaign called the Power of IX to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX, during the Feb. 11 game against UCLA. WSU Title IX pioneers will be honored on the court.

What exactly is Title IX? The federal civil rights law was passed on June 23, 1972. The legislation that was passed prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funding. 

WSU played a big role in the history of Title IX with Blair v. Washington State University. This was a landmark case for women’s rights and changed how Washington’s public colleges and universities support women’s athletics. 

During this time at WSU, some female athletes filed the lawsuit against the university for spending more on men’s athletics, football was excluded in this case. The case went all the way to the Washington State Supreme Court. The court ruled that football should not be excluded from calculations when it comes to opportunities, scholarships and distribution of nonrevenue funds. 

“Washington State played a significant role in the monumental shift in culture in women’s athletics and our goal with the events and campaign is to educate, celebrate and continue to elevate our women’s sports programs at WSU and nationally,” WSU Athletics Director Pat Chun said. 

Karen Blair, Marcia Saneholtz, Jeanne Eggart Helfer, Sue Durrant and Jo Washburn are some of the many that will be honored Feb. 11.

Blair was a member of the women’s track and field team and was one of only five women in varsity sports at that time. She was the plaintiff in the Blair v. Washington State University case in 1979. 

Saneholtz was a WSU faculty member for 28 years and represented the Cougs on numerous Pac-10 and NCAA committees. She was the main advocate for WSU to host NCAA volleyball and basketball tournaments in Spokane. Saneholtz was also a critical part in combining the men’s and women’s athletics departments into one WSU Athletics Department. 

Eggart Helfer played basketball and competed in track and field in the ’80s. She also competed in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials where she finished fourth in the javelin throw. She was inducted into the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame as a coach and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame as an athlete. 

Durrant was the women’s basketball coach from 1971-1982. She had a record of 134-99. She also coached women’s volleyball for 12 seasons. Coach Durrant was a leading force in the Title IX lawsuit that provided gender equity in the state of Washington and nationally. 

Washburn was a beloved member of the WSU women’s athletic program. She taught women’s intramurals at WSU and was at WSU for almost 40 years as a faculty member. Washburn served as the women’s athletic director from 1965-1982. She also helped found the sport management program at WSU. She passed away on Sept. 15, 2020. 

The athletics department will also be creating a Power of IX Excellence Fund which is going to provide necessary resources to the women’s sports teams of WSU. This fund will also be a resource for future female athletes at WSU. Starting on March 7, there will be a three-week giving campaign to the fund. During this time, there will be stories from female athletes, coaches and other WSU pioneers. 

“Through recognition of Title IX pioneers, development opportunities for female student-athletes, community engagement and a fundraising campaign for female sport programs, we are excited to celebrate these milestones throughout the year,” Chun said. 

Apart from the Power of IX Campaign, there will be a Women’s Empowerment Forum on March 8. During this event, there will be a panel of alumni, players, coaches, staff and faculty. 

The athletics department will also have a celebration on June 23, 2022. Details will be posted on the Power of IX page on the athletics site. 

To top off the Power of IX, there will be an induction of an all-female class to the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame. 

The kickoff for the Power of IX will be at the half-time of the women’s basketball game against UCLA Feb. 11 in Beasley Coliseum.