The NCAA announced Thursday that its board voted to update the association’s participation policy for transgender student-athletes following President Trump’s executive order banning transgender girls and women from competing on sports teams that match their gender identity.
Mr. Trump signed the order Wednesday stating that the federal law against sex discrimination in schools, Title IX, be interpreted as prohibiting the participation of transgender girls and women in female sports. Institutions not in compliance jeopardize any federal funding they receive, Mr. Trump said.
The college sports association’s governing board updated its policy the following day.
“The NCAA is an organization made up of 1,100 colleges and universities in all 50 states that collectively enroll more than 530,000 student-athletes. We strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today’s student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions. To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement.
Baker had said in December while testifying before Congress on the issue that he was aware of “less than 10” transgender athletes among the more than half a million student-athletes governed by the NCAA.
The college sports association’s updated policy states that competition in women’s sports is limited to student-athletes assigned female at birth only. It also states that a student-athlete assigned female at birth who has begun hormone therapy (e.g., testosterone) may not compete on a women’s team. Student-athletes assigned male at birth are still allowed to practice with women’s teams and receive benefits such as medical care while practicing, the policy states.
Under the policy, student-athletes may compete and practice in men’s sports regardless of sex assigned at birth or gender identity.
The NCAA said the updated policy is effective immediately for all student-athletes regardless of previous eligibility.
Within hours of his inauguration, Mr. Trump signed an executive order saying the federal government is not to use terms like gender identity and recognizes “two sexes, male and female.”
He has also signed orders focusing on transgender service members and restricting gender-affirming health care.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Olivia Rinaldi and
contributed to this report.