I received an email from a reader about the Mighty Macs, one of the most famous women’s basketball teams this side of God. ESPN recently published this article: “Where did it all begin? Just ask Immaculata’s Mighty Macs” (March 26, 2008) by Greg Garber.

“Mighty Macs” was the name give to the team of women who played for Immaculata College (now Immaculata University) in Pennsylvania, a school that was founded by the Immaculata IHM Sisters, cousins to my own Monroe IHMs.

Here are some awesome stats gleaned from the article:

• Cathy Rush, the first basketball coach at Immaculata was hired for $450 a year beginning in 1970.
• Title IX guaranteed women an equal footing with men in collegiate athletics in 1972.
• The Mighty Macs won the first national championship in women’s basketball in 1972. They won again the following two years.
• Immaculata was the first college women’s team to play outside of the United States, traveling to Australia in 1974.
• In January 1975, Immaculata versus Maryland was the first women’s game to appear on national television.
• One month later, Immaculata and Queen’s College were the first women’s teams to play at Madison Square Garden.
• In 1978, when the first women’s collegiate doubleheader was played at Philadelphia’s Spectrum, all four coaches were Immaculata graduates — Vicki Harrington, Class of 1967 (Immaculata); Marianne Crawford Stanley, Class of 1976 (Old Dominion); Theresa Shank Grentz, Class of 1974 (Rutgers); and Rene Muth Portland, Class of 1975 (St. Joseph’s).
• Immaculata University is known as the Birthplace of Women’s Basketball.

The Immaculata IHM nuns were most supportive of their Mighty Macs. The caption of this picture (from the article) reads: “The nuns were primary teachers at Immaculata, and primary fans at the women’s basketball games. Without an organized pep band, they organized a Bucket Brigade to cheer for the Mighty Macs.”

As a proud product of Catholic school athletic programs and CYO basketball, I am thrilled that these women (nuns, coaches, and players) are getting the recognition they deserve.

Stay tuned for the movie “Our Lady of Victory“, a feature film about the true story of the Mighty Macs of Immaculata University winning the first national championship in women’s basketball in 1972.