On Monday, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) became the first collegiate athletics governing body to move forward with a policy that bans transgender women from competing in women’s sports. Shortly after the NAIA announced the policy change, the NCAA offered a statement in response.
On Monday, the NAIA Council of Presidents approved a new policy in a 20-0 vote that prohibits transgender women from competing in women’s sports. The new policy limits women’s sports to only athletes whose biological sex assigned at birth is female and who have not begun hormone therapy.
The NAIA governs 241 institutions throughout the country, most of which are smaller private institutions. The NCAA has not moved forward with a similar ban, but a few hours after the NAIA made its announcement, the NCAA issued a statement on the decision, declaring that the organization will continue to “ensure fair competition for all student-athletes.”
“College sports are the premier stage for women’s sports in America and the NCAA will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports and ensure fair competition for all student-athletes in all NCAA championships,” the NCAA said in a statement.
Obviously, this is a rather vague statement from the NCAA that does not indicate specific approval or disapproval of the transgender ban from the NAIA. But it is a statement nonetheless.
[ESPN]
