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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1982)
Battalion/Page 13 April 22, 1982 Battalion/lM April 22,1 sports ICS wiiAIAW to face new life inside world of NCAA / A TA C t[itor’s note: This is the second VA Ax L Uly two-part series on the trials 1 tribulations of the Associa- i for Intercollegiate Athletics ICtlOIl T omen, which after June 30 Ino longer be the major orga- ation for women’s college 87, to take a 1-0 lead s ' A* ^5 at rf’. by Frank L. Christlieb SCOrcd 23 of his P0!:E| Sports Editor second half and theSii-hiring its 11 years of exist- took command in i e, tjhe Association for Inter quarter to takea 1-Ole; egitne Athletics for Women best-of-three plavofl ^discovered that the male- Game 2 of theseriesis ninpted college sports scene Houston Friday night p’t Strayed much from tracli- Williams, the leadi-^K for Seattle during ih- College athletics still wear the season, came alive in eotypical fabric of their male quarter after hittingji ginaiors, although the from the field in the I each have grown a bit thin as The Washington Bi esult of the past few years’ the New Jersey Nets, ijj other Eastern miniseries. Game 2 itBanv rate, Texas night at Landover, Uj, ,, , • winner takes on theBtsK^ '’ women S athletic tics. ogram will be under The surprising Demti^A rules and reg rets travel to Phoenii next year. And night with a one-gameM. Athlrtir Dirr the second VVesternCoifjfy'^” y it 11 Id 1C UU e for Women Kay m said that, as with \y change, there will adjustments to make. series. Los Angeles is rj/ obstacle for the survive ffts on the part of the AIAW. |flver, after spending those rspntributing to the unwav- iglgrowth of women’s athle- i the AIAW retains only a jht breath of life, is of June 31, the AIAW be a force in college hens athletics. In fact, the anization won’t even exist. Ithough AIAW institutions will become members of the either the National Collegiate Athletic Association or the smal ler National Association of In tercollegiate Athletics, its actions will certainly be remembered as precedent-setters in the world of college women’s athletics. Kay Don, Texas A&M assis tant athletic director for women, has had a chance to witness the struggle of the AIAW since its creation in 1971. As the Region IV representative to the AIAW Executive Board, Don has been involved in the AIAW’s buildup into a 700-member organiza tion. Region IV includes schools in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Don said that after AIAW officials realized last year that the NCAA “was running them out of business,” they decided that measures had to be taken to reassert the position of the AIAW. “The AIAW lawyers investi gated the possibility of a lawsuit and tried to determine on what grounds to file the suit,” Don said. “In September, the AIAW filed suit against the NCAA, based on the Sherman Antitrust Act, claiming that (the NCAA) was monopolizing and that it was using its political and money power to run another organization out of business. “At the same time, the AIAW asked for a preliminary injunc tion to stop NCAA champion ships for women for 1981-82, or until such time as the lawsuit could be decided.” But the injunction was de nied, and after another injunc tion was turned down in Febru ary, the AIAW submitted an appeal. The Executive Board voted to withdraw the appeal March 3, and a federal judge di rected that efforts be made by the AIAW and the NCAA to cre ate a merger between the two organizations. The lawsuit, however, re mains unheard by a federal dis trict court. Thejudge then instructed the AIAW to send a merger propos al to the NCAA by April 3, after which the NCAA was to reply within 15 days. Don said she Although AIAW insti tutions will become members of the either the National Collegiate Athletic Association or the smaller National Association of Intercol legiate Athletics, their actions will certainly be remembered as prece dent-setters in the world of college women’s athletics. doesn’t know the contents of the NCAA’s reply to the proposal, but expects to find out this week or next week. So although the AIAW had not reached a final decision to dissolve, its members began to plan their exits from the organi zation. The dissolution would bring about a transfer into the NCAA for many women’s athle tic programs which had com peted in the AIAW. Don said that all AIAW re cruiting rules were to be lifted during the dissolution process. “This meant basically that we would have no recruiting rules as of March 1,” she said. But the NCAA had other plans. “The NCAA knew this was going to happen, so they sent out a letter to member institu tions stating that if any of us did not continue following AIAW rules that we were under as of Feb. 28, we would be subject to sanction in 1982-83,” Don said. “So that kept everybody using the rules that they were under at the time, even though the AIAW had lifted the rules.” The AIAW Executive Board then met early this month to de cide what steps the organization had to go take to bring about the dissolution. Officials made plans for a special delegate assembly June 7, at which the the final decision will be made. “So as of June 30,” Don said, “the AIAW will be dissolved. At that point, the executive com mittee, which is composed of the past president, the president and the president elect, will be come the executive board, in order to continue any of the cor porate matters — we’re actually a corporation. There will prob ably be some bills still out and some housekeeping that you have to continue with.” The law firm representing the AIAW says it will not drop the lawsuit, even though the AIAW will not be paying for the firm’s services. “The AIAW’s law firm has in dicated that it will continue the lawsuit through whatever stage they felt that financially they could continue to handle it,” Don said. “That means that the AIAW will no longer provide money for that service. They feel like they can carry it through the initial lawsuit, which they feel will probably be heard in August or September. “They don’t know if they can financially handle an appeal or anything, but they feel that they can at least go through the initial lawsuit just to see what exactly would happen.” At any rate, Texas A&M’s women’s athletic program will be under NCAA rules and reg ulations next year. And Don said that, as with any change, there will be adjustments to make. “Because we know we’re going to be dealing with the NCAA rules as of August or September, even though that See AIAW page 15 WHERE YOU ALWAYS BUY THE BEST FOR LESS” mo : n SALE ENDS SAT. 1620 Texas Ave. 693-3716 Mon.-Sat. 9-9 Sun. 10-6 ■7 M The Hot, Summertime Shoe teer! a Open lies) 1 Weekends iTiDWESi ‘ ® - 3 ART INS , GARDEN HOSE 1 /2"x50' $099 REG. $39.99 POLAROID 1-STEP $ SALE BORDENS OLD-FASHION ICE-CREAM VANILLA & FLAVORS $-1 59 StcrAe.'i ! 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