Intercollegiate athletics at MSU have evolved over the years to its current structure. The sports, activities, and changes have been affected by coaches, faculty, athletic directors, and national athletic associations. Athletics at MSU began in the 1890s with inter-institutional competition in football and baseball for men. In 1928, homecoming was celebrated with a football game. Ice hockey was approved as a college sport in 1939, though it was later canceled. During the Second World War, football and hockey were suspended for lack of athletes, coaches and finances. In 1967, the men's intercollegiate athletic program consisted of ten total sports. The Mankato Normal School catalogs for the year 1900-1907 state that basketball and indoor baseball were provided for women, in the form of modem-day intramurals. Volleyball for women was added inl917. Inl921 women played soccer games against outside teams. The first intercollegiate sport for women was bowling, which started in 1964. Swimming, gymnastics, and track and field were started in 1965. Women's athletics grew out of the intramural sports program operated by the Women's Physical Education Department. The women's department maintained ties with other colleges through state and national professional organizations, one of which was the Minnesota Extra-mural Sports Association for College Women. That organization gave the framework for women's intercollegiate athletics. Prior to the 1970s, faculty from the Women's Physical Education Department managed women's sports programs. Georgene Brock served as a coach and women's athletics director from 1964 to 1998. Ruth Schellberg, chairperson of the women's physical education department for 22 years until her retirement in 1974, guided the women's program from intra-mural to full intercollegiate status. Roy B. Moore had been the athletic director from 1952-1964. The men's athletic program had its own athletic director. Two long-time Men's Athletic Directors were Roy B. Moore from 1952-1964 and James Robert Otto, who served 1970 until 1983.

The federal enactment of Title IX in 1972 changed sports at MSU. It required that public institutions receiving funds from the federal government to give equal opportunity to all students attending the institution. Support for women's athletics had to approach that of men's athletics budgets, facilities, scholarships, and personnel. In 1974 the men's and women's athletic programs were merged. The university changed its athletic conference affiliation several times over the years. In 1967 MSU was part of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC) as well as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). In 1968 MSU was accepted to the North Central Conference (NCC) in order to resolve schedule, fmancial, and other problems. All members of the NCC were part of the NCAA. From 1935 to 1971, the mascot and logo of MSU were the "Indians," in recognition of early people who inhabited the area of what today is Mankato. In 1971 the logo was dropped, and in 1977 the new mascot and logo became thdMSU "Mavericks." In 2004, the Men's and Women's Athletics each included 10 sports. For Men's Athletics, fall sports are golf, football, and cross country. Winter sports include: indoor track and field, basketball, hockey, wrestling and swimming. Spring sports are: baseball, golf, tennis, and outdoor track and field. Women's fall sports include volleyball, soccer, golf, and cross country. Winter sports are: swimming, basketball, hockey, and indoor track and field. Spring sports are Softball, tennis, golf and outdoor track and field. Information for this finding aid was obtained from: Chronicle of Athletics Control: A History of Administration ofIntercollegiate Athletics at Mankato State University 1890s-1980s by Roy Benjamin Moore. Mankato State University the Second Century: The First Twenty-Five Years 1968-1992 by Claire E. Faust.