Thirty-seven years ago tonight, a collection of social currents in American society flowed together to produce an event watched by 50 million people on television. When it was over, the nation had seen, played out theatrically, what it had struggled to absorb intellectually: Women’s sports deserved respect.
….Before the “Battle” UW-Madison had no women?s intercollegiate sports and was responding to a complaint that it was violating Title IX. Today, the nearly 400 women competing in 12 sports at the university outnumber the school?s male competitors. Women remain behind in sports in financial backing and administrative and coaching jobs. But the progress is remarkable.