New Rules Restrict Women's Sports to Athletes Assigned Female at Birth, Following Trump Administration's Executive Order

Indianapolis, IN, February 6, 2025 — The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has announced a significant overhaul of its transgender student-athlete participation policy, effective immediately, in response to a recent executive order from the Trump administration. The new policy limits competition in women's sports to student-athletes who were assigned female at birth, marking a sharp departure from the NCAA's previous guidelines.

Under the updated policy, the men's sports category remains open to all eligible student-athletes, regardless of gender identity or sex assigned at birth. However, the women's sports category is now restricted exclusively to those assigned female at birth. This change aligns with the Trump administration's recent executive order, which has pushed for stricter regulations on transgender participation in sports, including bans on transgender athletes competing in women's sports at various levels.

The NCAA's Board of Governors voted to adopt this new policy, stating that it aims to provide "clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards" for today's student-athletes. NCAA President Charlie Baker emphasized the need for clarity in light of conflicting state laws and court decisions. "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," Baker said in a statement.

The policy also permits student-athletes assigned male at birth to practice with women's teams and receive benefits such as medical care, though they are barred from competing in women's sports events. Additionally, student-athletes assigned female at birth who have begun hormone therapy, such as testosterone treatment, are also prohibited from competing on women's teams. If such competition occurs, the team will be subject to NCAA mixed-team legislation and will lose eligibility for NCAA women's championships.

The announcement has sparked a range of reactions across the sports community and beyond. Advocates for transgender rights have criticized the policy as discriminatory, arguing that it undermines the principles of inclusion and fairness. Athlete Ally, a nonprofit LGBTQ athletic advocacy group, condemned the move, stating, "This lawsuit is the latest effort to eliminate the ability of transgender athletes to exist in the same spaces as cisgender athletes, and to erode the autonomy of sport governing bodies to set evidence-based eligibility criteria as they see fit.

On the other hand, some athletes and conservative groups have praised the policy, viewing it as a necessary step to protect the integrity of women's sports. The policy change comes amid ongoing legal battles, including a lawsuit filed by 16 female athletes in 2024, which argued that the NCAA's previous policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports violated Title IX protections.

The NCAA has also directed its member schools to foster "respectful and inclusive collegiate athletic cultures" and has updated its Mental Health Best Practices to ensure that mental health services and resources are available to all student-athletes. "The updated policy combined with these resources follows through on the NCAA’s constitutional commitment to deliver intercollegiate athletics competition and to protect, support, and enhance the mental and physical health of student-athletes," Baker added.

This policy shift is part of a broader national debate on transgender participation in sports, with several states and sports governing bodies adopting similar restrictions in recent years. The NCAA's decision is likely to further intensify discussions about fairness, inclusion, and the rights of transgender athletes in collegiate sports.