History was made in college basketball last week in a game that otherwise would have been completely overlooked.

Teresa Phillips, the athletic director at Tennessee State University, added the title of interim men's basketball coach to her job description for the team's game against Austin Peay last Thursday.

Having an interim coach is one thing, but this was the first time a woman had ever been the head coach of a men's college basketball team. Phillips seemed to have picked the perfect time, as the sports world is currently going through a period where women are figuring more prominently than ever before.

Annika Sorenstam had just accepted an invitation to appear in a men's golf event and women's sports in general are becoming more popular throughout the country, although some people are still not fully satisfied with where they currently stand.

"Honestly I think we're disappointed," Purdue women's basketball coach Kristy Curry said. "We're thankful for what we do have but our goal should be 10,000 [people] a game. We need to continue to grow. It's like going to church and all the older folks are passing. You need a youth movement."

That youth movement has begun at certain schools, while at others, women's basketball and women's sports in general still take a backseat.

As this season has moved along, the Penn State women's basketball team has seen a steady increase in its attendance figures including topping the 10,000 mark on two occasions. However, that is not quite enough satisfaction just yet.

"The number one group that we're missing is the students," Penn State women's basketball coach Rene Portland said. "We need to do a better job of getting our students out. We were really happy with the 9,000 fans we had on Thursday, because those are the true fans."

Student attendance has been steadily rising at the Bryce Jordan Center this season, but on the other side is the men's basketball team, which is struggling and still drawing support from some.

"Our ticket prices are cheaper than the men's," Portland said. "There was a time when we did not charge for students, but now we do. Big deal."

Portland is not the only one taking notice at who is filling the seats of the Jordan Center for both the men's and women's teams this season.

"I thought Penn State had a wonderful crowd at their place on Thursday," Curry said. "I watched part of their men's game the night before, and they did not have nearly as many. Our conference office is trying to take some positive steps."

The steps thus far have shown improvement, as five schools are drawing an average of over 5,000 fans per game this season, compared to four a season ago.

Make no mistake however, coaches still feel that there is work to be done and the women's game is going to continue to grow.