• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 1, 2025

NAIA Votes to Ban Transgender Athletes From Women’s Sports

  • The NAIA ban starts Aug. 1 for the 2024–2025 academic year.
  • NCAA rules for transgender athletes go sport-to-sport based on the international governing body.
NAIA

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced Monday it had voted to ban transgender women from women’s competitions starting during the 2024–25 academic year, leading to questions about whether the NCAA will follow suit. 

At the NAIA’s national convention, its executive body, the Council of Presidents decided “only students whose biological sex is female” can compete in women’s sports starting Aug. 1. The decision includes transgender men or nonbinary students who are undergoing hormone treatments. 

“We know there are a lot of different opinions out there,” NAIA president Jim Carr told CBS Sports. “For us, we believed our first responsibility was to create fairness and competition in the NAIA. … We also think it aligns with the reasons Title IX was created. You’re allowed to have separate but equal opportunities for women to compete.”

Ahead of Sunday’s women’s national basketball championship, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley was asked for her opinion on transgender athletes. 

“I’m of the opinion that if you’re a woman, you should play,” Staley said. “If you consider yourself a woman and you want to play sports, or vice versa, you should be able to play.”

The NAIA pales in comparison to the size of the NCAA, with just 241 schools, many of which are private with low enrollment. NCAA rules allow transgender athletes to compete if they adhere to guidelines of international sports governing bodies. In March, a group of female former athletes sued the NCAA for letting transgender athletes, such as former Penn swimmer Lia Thomas, compete against and share a locker room with them, which they allege violated Title IX. 

An NAIA spokesperson told The Washington Post the organization does not track whether any out transgender athletes are currently among the roughly 83,000 athletes competing. 

“This is unacceptable and blatant discrimination that not only harms trans, nonbinary, and intersex individuals, but limits the potential of all athletes,” Shiwali Patel, senior counsel for the National Women’s Law Center, said in a statement. “It’s important to recognize that these discriminatory policies don’t enhance fairness in competition. Instead, they send a message of exclusion and reinforce dangerous stereotypes that harm all women.

“This ban, along with over 20 discriminatory categorical sports bans across the country, emphasizes the urgency in having clear Title IX rules that expressly prohibit this type of sex-based discrimination, and ensure the rights of all students, including transgender, nonbinary, and intersex athletes, are safeguarded.”

The NAIA’s 2023–24 policy allows transgender and nonbinary athletes to compete in any gender category during the regular season, but this doesn’t transfer over to the postseason. In the NAIA postseason, transgender athletes who aren’t receiving gender-affirming hormone treatment can compete in coed sports or in single-gender sports in the category associated with the gender they were assigned at birth. Transgender men taking medically prescribed testosterone treatments, though, may not compete on women’s teams.

The NCAA, which has taken a sport-by-sport approach to transgender athletes, requires them to comply with the rules of the international governing body covering their sports specifically. Its policy was last updated, in January 2022, ahead of the swimming championships Thomas participated in. The NCAA Board of Governors is slated to meet April 25.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Nuggets, Rockets Make Aggressive Moves to Challenge Thunder

Denver took the Thunder to seven games in the conference semifinals.

ESPN, MLB Relationship May Not Be Over After All

The parties restart rights talks amid a high-profile divorce in February.
Nov 23, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Jake Retzlaff (12) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium.

Rape Suit Against QB Retzlaff Dismissed, but He’s Still Leaving BYU

Retzlaff admitted to “consensual” sex, violating BYU’s strict honor code.
Nov 16, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang celebrates during a team celebration lap after the playoff semifinal match against NJ/NY Gotham FC at Audi Field.

Michele Kang to Lead Lyon As UEFA Delays Multi-Club Ownership Ruling

Lyon’s Europa League fate remains unclear as Michele Kang replaces John Textor.

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.

College Sports Revenue-Sharing Underway As More Changes Loom

July 1 marks the first day schools can directly pay players.
Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Baylor Bears guard Jeremy Roach (3) reacts after a play during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center.
June 26, 2025

Power Four Put Finishing Touches on How Revenue Sharing Era Will Work

The agreement stipulates that schools can’t sue to challenge any terms of the settlement.
June 30, 2025

Pac-12 Hits Football Membership Threshold With Texas State Entry

The school is paying $5 million to leave the Sun Belt Conference.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 26, 2025

Pac-12 Rebuild Nears Completion With 2026 Texas State Addition

The Sun Belt school is likely joining the Pac-12 in 2026.
Sep 16, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Sacramento State Hornets running back Elijah Tau-Tolliver (25) celebrates after a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium.
June 25, 2025

Sacramento State ‘Full Steam Ahead’ for FBS Despite Not Receiving NCAA Waiver

The Hornets launched a public campaign to join the FBS last fall.
Jun 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina infielder Jackson Van De Brake (6) and outfielder Carter French (18) celebrate an out during the first inning of the Super Regionals game against Arizona in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
June 25, 2025

Most Power Conference Sports Won’t See Revenue-Sharing Dollars

But there is a silver lining for Olympic sports: more scholarships.
June 23, 2025

Colleges Are Raising Student Fees to Pay for Athlete Revenue-Sharing

Schools are preparing to pay student athletes up to $20.5 million annually.