The move comes just a day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order intended to keep biological males from competing in girls' and women's sports. The order gives federal agencies latitude to withhold federal funding from entities that do not abide by Title IX in alignment with the Trump administration’s order which aligns with the biological reality that there are only two sexes, male and female.
The NCAA policy change is effective immediately and applies to all athletes regardless of previous eligibility reviews under the NCAA’s prior transgender participation policy. The organization has more than 1,200 schools with more than 500,000 athletes, easily the largest governing body for college athletics in the U.S.
“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,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said. “To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard.”
The NCAA’s revised policy permits male athletes to practice with women’s teams and receive benefits such as medical care while practicing.
