NORFOLK, Va., Jan. 21, 2022 — The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of passage of Title IX with a series of stories and milestones throughout the remainder of the calendar year, starting on Tuesday, Feb. 1.
“Title IX is one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in the history of intercollegiate athletics,” MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills said. “Thanks in large part to Title IX, the MEAC and its member institutions have been at the forefront of the history of women’s athletics at the NCAA level, and as the conference embarks on its next 50 years, it is an honor for us to look back and share these remarkable stories.”
The celebration will begin in conjunction with National Girls and Women in Sports Day (Feb. 2), where a virtual 5K and 50-mile challenge will be held. This will be an interactive event to celebrate the anniversary, and participants will have the option to walk, run, swim, row, etc., all at once or spread out.
The 5K will run from Feb. 1-28, and the 50-mile challenge will go from Feb. 1-June 23.
Fifty (50) stories highlighting pioneers and monumental moments in MEAC women’s sports history, as selected by the conference office and member institutions, will be featured on MEACsports.com, the MEAC’s social media platforms and member institutions’ digital outlets.
This programming will also include partnerships with the Women’s Sports Foundation and the YWCA.
The conference’s partnership with the YWCA will include donation drives at all MEAC championships for the rest of the calendar year — starting with Indoor Track & Field (Feb. 21-23).
The MEAC has also created a commemorative 50th anniversary logo that will be used to create uniform patches for the conference’s student-athletes and stencils for institutions’ athletic fields.
Updates on Title IX events will be posted throughout the year on MEACSports.com and the conference’s social media outlets.
The campaign will conclude on Thursday, Dec. 1.