▁track ▁& ▁field , ▁and ▁vol ley ball ). ▁ ▁In ▁years ▁when ▁small - col lege ▁champion ships ▁( Div ision ▁II ▁or ▁III ) ▁were ▁not ▁cont ested , ▁and ▁in ▁sports ▁without ▁divisions , ▁there ▁was ▁open ▁competition ▁among ▁el ig ible ▁teams . ▁ ▁Ex cept ▁as ▁noted ▁below , ▁the ▁NCAA ▁spons ored ▁its ▁first ▁women ' s ▁championship ▁in ▁each ▁sport ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 1 – 8 2 ▁academic ▁year . ▁ ▁Ind ividual ▁athlet ic ▁programs ▁and , ▁in ▁some ▁cases , ▁individual ▁teams ▁within ▁a ▁program ▁were ▁permitted ▁to ▁choose ▁to ▁particip ate ▁in ▁either ▁the ▁A IA W ▁or ▁NCAA ▁compet itions ▁( or ▁both ▁in ▁a ▁few ▁instances ). ▁ ▁The ▁NCAA ▁has ▁never ▁spons ored ▁championship ▁competition ▁in ▁bad m inton , ▁synchron ized ▁sw imming , ▁or ▁slow - p itch ▁soft ball . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁sports ▁of ▁f encing , ▁lac ros se , ▁row ing ▁and ▁tennis , ▁for ▁comple ten ess , ▁the ▁champions ▁listed ▁below ▁include ▁those ▁best owed ▁by ▁each ▁sport ' s ▁gover ning ▁body ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁A IA W ▁champion ships ▁in ▁those ▁sports . ▁ ▁Comp il ations ▁of ▁colleg iate ▁records ▁by ▁the ▁NCAA , ▁continu ing ▁into ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁have ▁ignored ▁or ▁seg reg ated ▁the ▁contributions ▁of ▁A IA W ▁athlet es . ▁ ▁Major ▁college ▁basketball ' s ▁career ▁women ' s ▁scoring ▁leader , ▁Lyn ette ▁Wood