NCAA announces ban on transgender athletes from competing in women`s sports

(MENAFN) The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has announced a ban on transgender athletes from competing in women's sports, following an executive order issued by US President Donald Trump earlier this week. Under the new policy, athletes assigned male at birth and trans women undergoing hormone therapy are prohibited from joining women's teams at NCAA-affiliated colleges and universities, which include around 1,100 institutions across the country. However, these athletes are still allowed to practice with women’s teams, and all athletes can compete on men’s teams if they meet the general eligibility requirements.

Previously, the NCAA allowed biologically male athletes who transitioned to compete in certain women’s sports, as part of controversial rules introduced in 2022. NCAA President Charlie Baker described the updated eligibility criteria as "clear, consistent, and uniform," contrasting them with previous state laws and court decisions that created inconsistencies. He credited President Trump with providing a unified national policy on transgender athlete participation.

This policy change is part of President Trump's broader agenda to reverse policies from his predecessor, Joe Biden, which supported various minority groups, a move that Trump has labeled “woke lunacy.” One of the most prominent cases of a trans athlete under the former NCAA rules is swimmer Lia Thomas, who transitioned in 2019 and rose significantly in national rankings after competing as a woman.

In response to these changes, three of Thomas's former teammates filed a lawsuit against the university and the NCAA, alleging psychological harm and discrimination resulting from the institutions promoting a pro-trans agenda at the expense of female athletes.

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