Story Link
A category of women limited to all eligible student-athletes, student-athletes assigned to women at birth, schools instructed to develop a welcoming environment on all campuses.
Today, the NCAA announced that the Governor’s Committee will vote to update the association’s participation policy for transgender student-athletes following the Trump administration’s executive order. The new policy limits women’s sports competition to student-athletes who have assigned women only at birth. This policy allows male athletes to practice with a female team at birth and receive benefits such as medical care during practice. This policy will take effect immediately and applies to all student-athletes regardless of previous eligibility reviews based on the NCAA’s previous transgender participation policy.
“The NCAA is an organization consisting of 1,100 universities from all 50 states collectively registering over 550,000 student-athletes. Clear, consistent, uniform eligibility criteria will help students to today’s student-athletes instead of patchwork. We strongly believe in providing optimal service. NCAA President Charlie Baker has made conflicting state laws and their purposes, for their purposes.
The board also directed staff to support all member schools in honoring and promoting an inclusive university athletic culture. Following the leadership direction for student-athletes, the NCAA recently updated its mental health best practices. The NCAA requires that all schools ensure mental health services and resources are available to all student-athletes that are consistent with mental health best practices.
“The updated policies combined with these resources follow the NCAA’s constitutional commitment to enabling intercollegiate athletics competition and protecting, supporting and enhancing the mental and physical health of student-athletes.” Baker said. “This national standard brings much needed clarity to modernize university sports for today’s student-athletes.” For more information about the NCAA mental health initiatives and resources, visit NCAA.org please.
For more information about the NCAA mental health initiatives and resources, please support a respectful and inclusive university athletic culture.
Details of the updated participation policy for transgender student-athletes:
NCAA Men’s Sports:
Student-athletes can participate in NCAA men’s sports (practices and competition) regardless of their gender assigned by birth or gender identity.
* Student-athletes must complete the medical exception process by taking prohibited substances (such as testosterone).
NCAA Women’s Sports:
Student-athletes assigned males at birth cannot compete for NCAA women’s teams.
Student-athletes assigned at birth can practice on NCAA women’s teams and receive all other perks that apply to student-athletes. Division I leadership plans to adopt roster restrictions instead of scholarship restrictions, and a new practice squad policy is still under development.
Student-athletes assign women at birth when they start hormone therapy (such as testosterone). If such a competition occurs, the team will be subject to NCAA mixed team laws and the team will no longer qualify for the NCAA Women’s Championship.
Student-athletes are assigned women at birth when they start hormone therapy (e.g., testosterone), continue to practice with the female team, and receive all the other benefits that are applied to student-athletes.
Individual schools have the autonomy to decide to participate in athletics on campus.
NCAA schools will be subject to local, state and federal laws, and such policies will replace NCAA regulations.
Sports with a mixed male and female NCAA championship are exempt from this policy (e.g., rifles).
