BILLINGS, Mont. – As Yellowjacket Athletics prepares to welcome its 32^nd Hall of Fame and Distinction Class this weekend, and on the heels of National Girls & Women in Sports day on February 1^st, Yellowjacket Athletics will also recognize the impact 50 years of Title IX has had on Yellowjacket Athletics and the Billings community at large with special recognition at both it's Hall of Fame and Distinction Induction Ceremony Friday (2/3) and in-game Saturday (2/4) during the women's basketball game versus Saint Martin's (5:15 pm start time.)
 
The first women's team in the modern era to compete for MSUB was the Yellowjacket Women's Basketball team when, in 1973, they first took the court and recorded a 6-6 record. However, it took the program only a short time to establish its now trademark success when only one year later, they made their first national tournament appearance (1974-1975) and three years later won their first Conference Championship (1976-1977.) As of the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, Yellowjacket Women's basketball has amassed 12 league titles, 17 trips to the national tournament, and two appearances in the NCAA Elite Eight (1999 & 2018.)
 
MSU Billings continued to expand their women's sports offerings with track and field in 1976; even though it was dropped in 1983, it was reinstated in 2007. Additional teams added included Women's Swimming (1964-1971), Volleyball (1984), Tennis (1996-2015), Cheerleading (1997), Golf (2002), and Cross Country (2002).
 
Yellowjacket athletics has also been a trailblazer in the state of Montana collegiate sports. MSU Billings was the first university in Montana to offer women's soccer (1996), softball (2002), and triathlon (2019).
 
When Krista Montague, current President and CEO of the MSU Billings Foundation & Alumni, was Athletic Director for MSU Billings, the athletic department added women's triathlon as its 16th varsity sport in 2019, broadening its array of NCAA Division II sports programs, totaling nine women's sports of the 17 offered at the university. "We are committed to gender equality at MSUB, as outlined in our strategic plan, and we are proud to offer this growing and unique opportunity of a multi-sport future for female athletes," said Montague at the time. "We are excited to be a trailblazer for women and help grow this sport [triathlon]."
 
Recognizing that the impact of Title IX was felt at a far greater reach than those who wore the Yellowjacket uniform, Yellowjacket Athletics also invites any other former or current female athlete directly impacted by Title IX to join in the recognition during the game recognizing the impact that landmark piece of legislation had on our society.