Established 1929 Members 21 | Association FISU | |
Sports fielded (men's: 16; women's: 13) Region Puerto Rico and U.S.V.I. Former names Asociación Atlética Intercolegial | ||
The Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico, often abbreviated LAI, (English: "Puerto Rico Inter-university Athletics League", LAI) is a college athletics conference in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The LAI is a non-profit organization whose main purpose is to regulate sports amongst its member institutions. The league was founded in 1929 by Cosme Beitía of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, Charles Leker for the Instituto Politécnico de San Germán (English: San Germán Polytechnic Institute), and Luis Izquierdo Galo y José D. Morales from the Colegio de Agricultura y Artes Mecanicas of Mayagüez (English: Mayagüez College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts). The league is best known for its flagship inter-collegiate sports event popularly called Las Justas which takes place yearly during the month of April, generally in the city of Ponce.
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History
The League began celebrating three sports events amongst its member institutions in 1929; Baseball, Basketball, and Athletics. Initially the League's events were open to male athletes only, but the practice was relaxed with time. Today male athletes compete in some 16 events and female athletes compete in thirteen. Women began competing in the league starting in the 1969-1970 academic year. Every year the league hosts the Justas de Atletismo y Festival Deportivo, their flagship sports competition event. For many years the event was held in San Juan, but in 1993 the event was moved to the city of Ponce. In 2010 the event was held in Mayagüez in preparation for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games. Games resumed in Ponce in 2011, and continued in Ponce in 2012.
The league is administered by a "Administrative Council" made up of the Deans of Students, Athletic Directors, and a student representative. There is also a "Cuerpo Rectoral" called the "Junta de Gobierno" made up of the Rectors and presidents of the member institutions. The "Junta de Gobierno" chooses an employee called "The Commissioner" who is appointed to act as executive officer of the LAI for a period of two years. The League is a founding member of International University Sports Federation.