A legacy, empowerment and greatness are just a few words that come to mind when thinking of the Lady Vol program at the University of Tennessee. Joan Cronan, athletic director emeritus, says that, “Tennessee said yes to women before it was cool, and gave women an opportunity.”

For decades, the Lady Vols have stood as a national example of what women’s athletics can be when given resources, support and vision; an identity shaped by trailblazers who saw beyond wins and losses. Cronan, who arrived on campus in 1968 as the women’s basketball coach, remembers those early years vividly. At the time, women didn’t have access to the same facilities, gear or recognition as the men.

When Cronan transitioned into the role of women’s athletic director in 1983, she helped Tennessee break new ground on a national scale. Under her leadership, Lady Vol sports appeared on television more frequently than ever before, giving women athletes visibility that was rare at the time. That exposure didn’t just change Tennessee; it helped shift the landscape of women’s athletics nationwide.

Former Lady Vol and current Las Vegas Aces president Nikki Fargas remembers how transformational the program was during her playing days. Women’s basketball wasn’t widely televised or promoted, but Tennessee’s success, and its fanbase, forced networks to take notice.

“You can’t deny this product,” Fargas said. “You can’t deny how great these women are and the way that we play the game.”

But beyond the games themselves, the Lady Vols built a culture rooted in academic excellence, leadership and personal growth. Fargas attributes much of her own success to the women who led Tennessee’s separate women’s athletics department at the time; coaches, trainers, administrators and media professionals who showed student-athletes what female leadership looked like at the highest level.

That culture continues today through athletes like recent graduate Riley West, who understands the responsibility that comes with wearing the Lady Vol name.

“You’re always a Lady Vol,” West said. “You’re LVFL. You hold yourself to an even higher standard because you know what it took to be in that position.”

For West, the legacy is as much about who you are off the court as what you accomplish on it. As women’s sports continue to rise in popularity and investment, she believes there has never been a better moment to represent Tennessee.

“They’re the trailblazing program for female athletics,” she said. “There’s just no better time to have your name attached to being a Lady Vol for life.”

From Cronan’s early challenges to Summitt’s dynasty-building years, from Fargas’ era of national attention to West’s modern-day perspective, the thread that connects each generation is unmistakable: excellence fueled by opportunity.

The Lady Vols aren’t just a sports program, they’re a movement. A symbol of what can happen when women are empowered, supported and expected to succeed. And as the next generation of athletes steps onto the court, the field or the track, the Lady Vol legacy continues to grow stronger more influential than ever.