When Mel Greenberg's boss approached him a half century ago about starting the women's basketball poll, he balked.

The Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer didn't think he'd be able to pull together the information needed to deliver a legitimate poll. Women's games were almost never aired on national television in 1976 and the internet wouldn't come along for another few decades, making scores and other statistics challenging to gather.

But as generations of sports fans now know, Greenberg found a way. The season of women's college basketball that began this week marks the 50th anniversary of a poll that has helped shape the sport and draw lasting attention to women's athletics.

“It’s amazing how far down the line we are and what it is,” the now 78-year-old Greenberg said in a phone inte

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