With the 150th anniversary of the first football game between Rutgers and Princeton, Rutgers fans entered 2019 with a heightened respect for the history of its athletic program.

One accolade that often gets overlooked by fans and media is the school’s lone basketball national championship, an 83-77 victory over #5 Texas in the 1982 AIAW championship game. It was the year that the NCAA staked its place in the national women’s basketball landscape, marking not only Rutgers’ first national championship, but also the last crowning of an AIAW champion.

A group of alumni are hoping to celebrate the accomplishment of the 1982 team by producing a documentary about the magical season. The film, “Forgotten Champions: The Story of the 1981-1982 Rutgers Lady Knights," was previously highlighted by Keith Sargeant of NJ Advance Media.

“The goal of the film, entitled Forgotten Champions, is to not only celebrate the coaches and players, some of whom are hall of famers and great coaches (Theresa Grentz, Chris Dailey, the Coyle Sisters to name a few) in their own right, but also to put that team in the context of the growth of women’s basketball in the post-Title IV era,” said co-producer Jon Newman. “This was a true turning point in women’s athletics and it’s a battle that women athletes are still fighting to this day.”

The documentary will be narrated by Rutgers soccer legend, Carli Lloyd, a 2-time Olympic champion.

Newman and fellow producer, Geoff Sadow, are bootstrapping the project. So far, approximately $50,000 has been raised, and it could take upwards of another $100,000 to complete production. The goal is to debut the film in 2020. For many, it will be the first look at the game, as it was not televised and the only known video sat in coach Theresa Grentz’s attic for the past 35 years.

Fans are encouraged to lend their support to the documentary via a charitable donation to its 501-C3. They are also encouraged to share related articles and the contribution page via their social media platforms. Details can be found here. Feel free to email questions to jnewman@hodgespart.com.