The row over trans athlete participation in US school sports has just gotten a whole lot more heated – and potentially divisive. Despite the US Supreme Court giving individual states the green light to ban transgender girls and women from competing, the NCAA is sticking to its guns. President Charlie Baker made it clear on Face the Nation that his organisation won't be changing its policy any time soon, one that's been in place since January 2025.
Baker referenced the current framework, which bars trans women who were assigned male at birth or are undergoing testosterone therapy from competing in women's sports programmes. But it's a different story for men's sports – those remain the "open network," with no restrictions on participation. This policy was introduced in response to an executive order signed by Donald Trump early in his second term, and Baker made it clear that they're sticking with what they've got.
This stance from Baker comes hot on the heels of the Supreme Court's decision to uphold bans in West Virginia and Idaho, which could be a game-changer for at least 25 other states with similar prohibitions. The ruling means these laws don't infringe on Title IX, a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in education – but critics argue it's still a backward step.
The Supreme Court's decision was a major victory for Donald Trump, who campaigned hard on issues like this during his successful 2024 re-election bid. And while Baker acknowledged the importance of this issue to those directly affected, he made it clear that the NCAA's not planning any changes – at least, not yet.
Just 10 out of over 500,000 student athletes identify as transgender, according to figures from 2024. But for those who do, it's a highly personal and emotive issue. Baker acknowledged as much when he spoke about the NCAA's commitment to inclusivity – but also made it clear that his organisation has no plans to revisit its current policy.
Source: CBS News