NCAA Policy on Transgender Athletes - ICS Lawyer
In 2021, the inclusion of transgender athletes in athletic programs was heavily debated at the federal and state level. This past June, the Department of Education expanded Title IX guidance to include prohibition on discrimination based on one’s gender identity and sexual orientation. On the state level, 27 states have introduced bills restricting transgender athletes from participating in school sports by limiting athletes’ play to teams that correspond with one’s biological sex. As of November 2021, nine have been made into law. At the collegiate level, University of Pennsylvania’s breakout swimmer Lia Thomas (a male to female student-athlete) has also stimulated the debate within universities and the NCAA surrounding transgender student-athletes. In this social and political landscape, collegiate athletic programs have called on the NCAA to provide formal guidance on the issue.At the NCAA Convention in January 2022, the NCAA Board of Governors published its updated “Transgender Par...