The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced Monday that only biological females would be allowed to play in women’s sports.
The organization’s Council of Presidents voted to approve a policy allowing “only students whose biological sex is female” in its women’s sports competitions, according to The Washington Post. The policy will go into effect on Aug. 1 in time for the 2024-2025 season. (RELATED: Wisconsin Gov Shoots Down Bill To Keep Boys Off Girls’ Sports Teams)
“We are unwavering in our support of fair competition for our student-athletes,” Jim Carr, president and CEO of the NAIA, said, according to the Washington Post. “It is crucial that NAIA member institutions, conferences, and student-athletes participate in an environment that is equitable and respectful. With input from our member institutions and the Transgender Task Force, the NAIA’s Council of Presidents has confirmed our path forward.”
The NAIA is the “governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics.”
The NAIA becomes the first national college governing body to mandate athletes compete with their sex in a overwhelming 25-0 vote 👏🏼
“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…
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 8, 2024
The policy will allow biological females who identify as transgender to participate in the men’s categories. Female athletes who have begun “masculinizing hormone therapy” can participate in “all activities that are internal to the institution” and any “external competition that is not a countable contest as defined by the NAIA.”
Any biologically female student being put on cross-sex hormones must also notify the national office, according to the policy.
The NAIA has over 240 member schools, many of which are private, according to the Post. The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) is currently being sued by female athletes over its policy allowing male athletes to compete against females.
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