Recreational "Play Days," 1930
Women's Basketball Game, ca. 1970s
When the Eau Claire State Normal School was first established in 1916, it consisted of just one building and the only sports available were men's football and basketball. As the campus and student body grew, so did the number of sports available for men, while the sports available to women did not.
Beginning in 1926, women were able to participate in non-competitive sports through the Women's Athletic Association (WAA). The WAA was an organization where women could gain full membership through a points system.
From the 1930s to the 1970s, female students at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire participated in what became known as "play days." Play days held individual and team sport events, which were used for social and physical activities. It wasn't until the implementation of Title IX that women could participate in varsity sports.