Notre Dame celebrates 50 years of women’s varsity athletics with ‘Cheer Her Name’ initiative

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The university launched its first women’s varsity sport — tennis — in 1976, just two years after women were first admitted to Notre Dame. From that starting point, women’s athletics continued to expand alongside the broader national movement following the passage of Title IX in 1972.

Today, Notre Dame sponsors 13 women’s varsity programs and has won 16 national championships in women’s sports. One of the most influential figures in that history is Muffet McGraw, who led the women’s basketball program for 33 seasons and helped elevate it to national prominence.

“When I started coaching, nobody came to the games,” McGraw said. “We started selling season tickets and trying different things. It was probably about 15 years before we had our first sellout, and that was in 2001.”

Under McGraw, Notre Dame women’s basketball became a national powerhouse, winning national championships and producing numerous All-Americans. But McGraw said the true impact of women’s sports extends well beyond wins and losses.

“I want these women to see the kind of power that they have and gain confidence because it’s a proven fact that woman that play sports – I think 94 percent of CEO's – all played a sport," McGraw said.

That influence continues to resonate with current athletes across campus.

“Younger girls look up to us,” said Cassandra Prosper, a Notre Dame women’s basketball player. “To show them the positive impact sports can make and the influence we have — it’s amazing.”

As part of the anniversary, Notre Dame is using the “Cheer Her Name” campaign to emphasize visibility, recognition and continued investment in women’s athletics. McGraw said progress has been made but added there is still work to be done, particularly in leadership roles.

“We need to continue to hire female coaches and female staff who can mentor these young women,” McGraw said. “We need more women at higher levels, especially in administration.”

McGraw said empowering women in athletics starts with confidence and courage — principles she believes remain central to the program’s future.