DENVER – Title IX, the groundbreaking law prohibiting sex-based discrimination at schools that receive funding from the federal government, went into effect 50 years ago today – on June 23, 1972.
 
MSU Denver has for decades been a leader in providing equal opportunities for women in intercollegiate athletics. Today, Roadrunners Athletics is launching a 52-part tribute to pioneers and leaders in intercollegiate athletics at MSU Denver.
 
Each Thursday, a key female figure in Roadrunners athletics history will be recognized.
 
The list starts with the ultimate MSU Denver women's athletics pioneer in Pat Johnson.
 
Johnson, who filed an official Title IX complaint while coaching at MSU Denver, started the Roadrunners' volleyball program in 1968 and was its coach through 1987.
 
Johnson compiled a record of 391-232-3 as the Roadrunners' volleyball coach, leading the team to three top-10 national finishes in the old Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women as well as a third-place finish in the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics.
 
She helped guide the program into its current home in NCAA Division II, and set the foundation for one of the most consistent programs in the division – the Roadrunners have qualified for every national tournament since 2000.
 
A member of the first-ever class for the MSU Denver Athletics Hall of Fame, Johnson was also the Roadrunners' softball coach from 1969 through 1981, with the exception of two seasons.
 
Johnson passed away in 2021.