The following events helped shape the NCAA in 1973.

• 1973 (January 12) — The first Silver Anniversary and Today’s Top Athletes awards are presented at the Honors Luncheon during the NCAA Convention.

• 1973 (January 13) — The 1.600 eligibility legislation is abolished.

• 1973 (March 15) — Diver Dacia Schileru of Wayne State University (Michigan) becomes the first female to appear in any NCAA championship when she competes at the College Division Swimming and Diving Championships.

• 1973 (April 6) — The NCAA national office staff moves to a new building in Mission, Kansas.

• 1973 (June 5-9) — The University of Oregon’s Steve Prefontaine becomes the first student-athlete to win an NCAA University Division Outdoor Track and Field Championships event four straight years with his victory in the three-mile run; later in the year, he also becomes a three-time cross country champion.

• 1973 (June 17-23) — Ben Crenshaw of the University of Texas at Austin becomes the only participant to win three straight individual titles in the Division I Men’s Golf Championships (including a 1972 tie with teammate Tom Kite).

• 1973 (June 18-23) — Stanford University wins the first of 17 Division I Men’s Tennis Championships team titles between 1973 and 2000 under coach Dick Gould.

• 1973 (August 6) — The NCAA membership votes in a Special Convention to reorganize into three divisions.

• 1973 (November 10) — The first Division III championship is conducted in cross country at Wheaton College (Illinois).

• 1973 (November 23-24) — The University of California, Berkeley, wins the first of 11 National Collegiate Men’s Water Polo Championship titles between 1973 and 1992 (eight under coach Pete Cutino and three under coach Steve Heaston).

• 1973 (December 1) — The College Athletics Publishing Service relocates to Mission, Kansas, and becomes the NCAA Publishing Service.

• 1973 (December 8) — The first Division III Football Championship is conducted (Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Phenix City, Alabama).

• 1973 (December 15) — The first Division II Football Championship is conducted (Camellia Bowl in Sacramento, California).