The College Fix

‘Athletes assigned male at birth’ still may practice with women’s teams, association says

The National Collegiate Athletics Association will stop allowing male athletes to compete in women’s sports – a policy reversal it announced Thursday in response to actions by the Trump administration.

Its new policy, which the NCAA Board of Governors just approved, limits “competition in women’s sports to student-athletes assigned female at birth only,” a news release states.

However, “student-athletes assigned male at birth” still will be allowed “to practice with women’s teams and receive benefits such as medical care while practicing,” according to the policy change.

The change only applies to women’s sports.

“Regardless of sex assigned at birth or gender identity, a student-athlete may participate (practice and competition) in NCAA men’s sports …” the association stated.

The new policy goes into effect immediately, according to the NCAA.

In connection to the change, the association is requiring schools to provide mental health services to students and requiring NCAA staff to “help all member schools foster respectful and inclusive collegiate athletic cultures,” the release states.

“This national standard brings much needed clarity as we modernize college sports for today’s student-athletes,” its President Charlie Baker stated in the news release.

“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,” Baker stated. “To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard.”

Signed Wednesday, Trump’s executive order directs the U.S. Department of Education to use Title IX to enforce a ban on males who identify as female playing in women’s sports, The College Fix reported.

Both K-12 and higher education institutions that fail to do so could lose their federal tax funding.

“With this executive order the war on women’s sports is over,” Trump said.

Last year, female athletes sued the NCAA, alleging its policy allowing male athletes to compete in women’s sports violates their rights to privacy and equal opportunity, The Fix reported at the time.

Female student athletes have reported injuries, lost awards and opportunities, violations of privacy, and other problems due to male athletes who identify as transgender being allowed to compete in women’s sports.

MORE: New GOP-led House already fast tracks bill to ban men in women’s sports

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