Nevada Governor Calls on NCAA to Rewrite Policy on Transgender Athletes

NEVADA – Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has called on the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) to rewrite its policy regarding transgender athletes.

In a letter sent to the NCAA on Monday, Lombardo and eight other Republican governors argued that the NCAA is “avoiding responsibility for ensuring fairness” in college sports with its current policy.

“The NCAA has the chance to guarantee an environment where female college athletes can thrive without the concern of inequities,” the letter reads.

The NCAA’s current policy, which was approved in early 2022, mandates transgender student-athlete participation to be determined by the policy for the national governing body of that sport.

The letter goes on to reference Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who criticized the NCAA for allowing transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete against her in a women’s championship race.

The letter was addressed to the NCAA’s Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, which reviews policies and makes recommendations to the group’s governing body.

Lombardo’s call comes amid deliberations over President Joe Biden’s proposed changes to Title IX, which would expand the law’s protections to apply to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The U.S. Department of Education’s proposed rule would allow schools to determine if transgender athletes can compete on a team that matches their gender identity.

Lombardo, joined by two dozen other governors, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in May calling for the proposal to be withdrawn or delayed while the U.S. Supreme Court addresses pending cases. The proposed rule could prevent states from enforcing statutes related to athletics, the letter says.

Advocates for transgender athletes in sports have said that they deserve equal access to participation in sports.

Credits: Review Journal