The NCAA announced an update to its transgender student-athlete participation policy, effective immediately, according to the NCAA.
The new policy limits competition in women’s sports to athletes assigned female at birth. Athletes assigned male at birth may practice with women’s teams and receive benefits, but may not compete.
The policy change follows an executive order and aims to create a consistent, national standard instead of the current patchwork of state laws and court decisions, NCAA President Charlie Baker said.
“The NCAA is an organization made up of 1,100 colleges and universities...we strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today’s student-athletes...this order provides a clear, national standard,” Baker said.
The policy permits all eligible student-athletes to participate in men’s sports, regardless of their sex assigned at birth or gender identity.
However, athletes taking banned substances, like testosterone, must complete a medical exception process.
In women’s sports, athletes assigned male at birth may practice with the team and receive benefits, but cannot compete. Those assigned female at birth who have begun hormone therapy (like testosterone) may also practice and receive benefits but are ineligible for competition on a women’s team.
Such competition would subject the team to NCAA mixed-team legislation, making them ineligible for women’s championships.
Individual schools retain the right to set their own participation rules within these NCAA guidelines and are also subject to local, state, and federal laws, which supersede NCAA rules.
The NCAA Board of Governors also directed staff to support member schools in creating respectful and inclusive athletic environments.
The NCAA has also updated its Mental Health Best Practices, requiring schools to provide mental health services and resources to all student-athletes.
“The updated policy combined with these resources...protect, support and enhance the mental and physical health of student-athletes,” Baker said. “This national standard brings much needed clarity as we modernize college sports.”
Sports with mixed men’s and women’s NCAA championships, such as rifle, are exempt from this new policy.