Cross country was one of twelve women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981-82 school year, as the NCAA engaged in battle with the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women for sole governance of women's collegiate sports.
Villanova has won more NCAA Division I women's titles (9) than any other school, followed by Stanford with 5. BYU and North Carolina State have competed in the most NCAA Division I women's championships (25).