A coalition of women’s advocacy organizations has called on President-elect Donald Trump to demand the NCAA change its policies regarding trans athletes in women’s sports.
Our Bodies, Our Sports, the first and only coalition of women’s advocacy organizations fighting for justice in women’s sports in the country, issued a letter to the president-elect requesting that he use his influence to have the NCAA take action “to protect the rights and opportunities of female college athletes,” reads a press release.
“We are writing to you now to ask that you also use your powerful voice to urge the NCAA to take action and clarify the rules of participation to protect the rights and opportunities of female athletes,” the letter read, in part.
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President-elect Donald Trump delivers a speech during a campaign rally at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on October 15, 2024 in Atlanta. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“The NCAA’s controversial and unscientific Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy continues to allow men to participate in women’s sports, taking away women’s opportunities to compete, team spots, medals, and safe and fair competition,” reads the statement.
This letter to the president-elect comes ahead of the 2025 NCAA Convention, which will take place January 14-17 in Nashville, Tennessee. The week is full of topics, forums, business sessions and awards ceremonies.
The letter also comes after a federal judge blocked the Biden administration’s attempt to redefine sex in Title IX as “gender identity,” nullifying it nationwide.
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The ruling came Tuesday in the United States District Court, Eastern District of the Northern Division of Kentucky, in the case of Cardona v. Tennessee.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti celebrated the ruling with a post on X. “Another big win for TN and the country!” the post said. “This morning, a federal court ruled in our favor and struck down the Biden administration’s sweeping new Title IX rule across the country.
“The court’s order is a resounding victory for the protection of girls’ privacy in locker rooms and showers, and for the freedom to pronounce biologically accurate pronouns.”
The NCAA logo is displayed at center court as work continues on the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh for the NCAA college basketball tournament on March 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)
The Supreme Court previously rejected the Biden administration’s emergency request to enforce parts of a new rule that would have included nondiscrimination protections for transgender students under Title IX.
As for the NCAA’s current transgender participation policy, it allows trans athletes to play on a “sport-by-sport approach,” which “preserves opportunities for transgender student-athletes while balancing fairness, inclusion and security for all who compete. The governing body says its policy aligns with that of the “Olympic Movement.”
Part of the NCAA policy requires transgender student-athletes to provide documentation that complies with the 2010 NCAA policy, in addition to meeting the sports standard for documented testosterone levels at three times: before competition during the season regularly, before the first competition in an NCAA championship and before any competition in the “non-championship segment.”
Our Bodies, Our Sports is made up of the following member organizations: Independent Women’s Forum, Independent Women’s Sports Council, US Women’s International Declaration, Women Champions, International Consortium on Women’s Sports, Concerned Women for America, Front of Women’s Liberation, Independent Women’s Law Center, Young Women for America, Independent Women’s Voice, and Independent Women’s Network.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“We stand together in honor of the generations of women who came before us and in defense of all the women and girls who will come after us,” the letter to Trump concludes. “We ask for your help in demanding that the NCAA finally act to restore justice and opportunity to college sports and we thank you for supporting us.”
