NCAA threatens states over women’s sports, transgender laws

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), an organization often maligned for its bureaucracy and lack of meaningful reforms, warned lawmakers across the country about enacting laws barring transgender women from participating in K-12 and college sports.

Inside Higher Ed reported that the organization’s Board of Governors released a statement, which said it will award championship tournaments to states that are “safe, healthy and free of discrimination.” The board said that it “firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports.”

Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and West Virginia have passed bills barring transgender women from participating in women’s sports. Proponents of these laws contended that transgender women have a physical and athletic advantage over biological women, since  they were born male and typically perform at a different level than female athletes. In effect, supporters said that these laws ensure a fair, level and competitive playing field for female athletes.

The NCAA made the public statement as an overt threat because their championship tournaments and events could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars for the host city. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem reversed her stance on signing a similar bill into law, after pushing for its passage for several months. It is suspected that potential NCAA action against her state was to blame.

Unfortunately, the NCAA has a history of left-wing activism, especially after it moved championship events from North Carolina in 2016 when lawmakers passed a law barring transgender people from using public bathrooms according to their preferred gender identity.

Related Topics