The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has changed its participation policy for transgender athletes, limiting competition in women’s sports to those assigned female at birth only. The new policy is effective immediately and applies to all 1,100 member schools with over 500,000 athletes.
According to NCAA President Charlie Baker, the policy change aims to provide clear and consistent eligibility standards, which will best serve today’s student-athletes. However, the move has been met with controversy, with critics arguing that it restricts opportunities for transgender athletes and creates safety risks.
Under the new policy, athletes assigned male at birth can practice with women’s teams and receive benefits such as medical care, but they cannot compete on a women’s team without risking their team’s eligibility for championships. In contrast, athletes who have begun hormone therapy (such as testosterone) are restricted from competing in women’s sports.
The NCAA emphasized that member schools remain responsible for certifying athlete eligibility, and local, state, and federal legislation takes precedence over NCAA rules. The organization also noted that it has recently updated its mental health guidance to foster respectful and inclusive collegiate athletic cultures.
This new policy mirrors the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ (NAIA) stance, which allows only athletes whose sex assigned at birth is female and have not begun hormone therapy to compete.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/06/sport/ncaa-changes-transgender-policy-spt/index.html