Last year, dozens of collegiate athletic leaders gathered for the NCAA’s annual protocol, where they touted their latest fundraising techniques, debated how to be “more diverse” of non-athlete and Transgender students, and argued over the effects of sports betting. The most significant and pressing issue, whether female players are eligible to play for sex-exclusive clubs, was hardly mentioned or even avoided.  ,
It’s this issue, however, that does determine the NCAA’s trust as an athletic governing body.  ,
Trans-identifying men can participate in women’s sporting occasions as long as they have had one year of testosterone reduction, according to the NCAA’s participation policy changed in 2010. The business changed its policy once more in 2022 to help personal sports to decide their own eligibility requirements after it became evident this rule resulted in seized opportunities from female athletes.  ,
Authorities claimed this release was their best chance at achieving “inclusivity” and “fairness” for both woman and transgender sportsmen. But the NCAA’s female players may beg to differ.  ,
Five Division I women’s tennis teams faced local rivals that had a trans-identical men player on their team just this past year, forcing them to give up the opportunity to compete. The risk that would have otherwise posed to the female players ‘ health was competing against the physically strong men player who finished the season with 314 kill shots.  ,
Unfortunately, concerns about the female players ‘ well-being were sidelined by school officials, and by NCAA representatives who refused to move in.  ,
In an exclusive collection for Independent Women Features, various University of Nevada, Reno women’s volleyball players claimed that university administrators had pressured them to play a female player in a scheduled match, calling their concerns about good and secure competition “misinformed” and “uneducated.”
The only people who continue to deny the apparent physical differences between the sexes are those who are “misinformed.” On average, adult tennis players can spike the game 20-30 percentage harder than women, they can jump about 4 to 6 inches higher than females, they have higher stamina and endurance than females, and on and on. These natural experiences do no change, yet if one’s “gender identity” does. It takes deliberate knowledge to pretend otherwise.  ,
Far too many officials, especially those at the top of sports organizations like the NCAA, have chosen knowledge over common sense out of fear of coming across as “discriminatory.” But by permitting the conquest of women’s sports, the NCAA has chosen a different, albeit Left-wing-approved, form of discrimination: one that sheets female players of their secret places, their team, and their opportunities.
The University of Nevada, Reno’s women’s volleyball team wasn’t willing to take this insult sitting down. Despite the school’s attempts to move forward with the NCAA-sanctioned match against the trans-identifying male player, 16 of the team’s 17 female players refused to play. In so doing, they proved they have something else the NCAA seems to be missing: courage.
The organization appears reluctant to change its own-deadline 2022 policy, despite the Board of Governors ‘ announcement that its transgender participation policy is being reviewed once more. NCAA President Charlie Baker claimed in a statement to reporters before his address at the NCAA Convention last week that he can’t commit to any changes until additional federal guidance is made available. Linda Livingstone, chair of the NCAA Board of Governors, added that they will continue to monitor potential changes to Title IX laws, the results of pending lawsuits, and the effects of changes at the federal level.
By that, Baker and Livingstone almost certainly mean President Donald Trump’s pledge to use federal authority to protect women’s sports. Trump has already signed an executive order this week that clarifies that there are only two sexes and that they cannot be exchanged.
More will come from the White House regarding this. However, the NCAA doesn’t need to wait for Trump to impose further rules and pressure its hand. Instead of waiting patiently for the Trump administration, a federal judge, or anyone else to change the NCAA’s policy for it, the organization has the chance right now to lead on this matter.  ,
Sia Liilii, McKenna Dressel, Kinsley Singleton, and the other players on the University of Nevada, Reno’s women’s volleyball team certainly didn’t have the option of waiting in the background when their physical safety was put on the line. They need leaders who are ready to speak out, just like they did.
The NCAA should choose to take a proactive role in the fight to bring our nation and culture back to order rather than reacting to the changing political winds. Without Baker and his fellow athletic leaders, we will lose this fight, make no mistake. However, it would be nice to have additional allies along the way.
Kaylee McGhee White is the editor-in-chief of Independent Women Features, the grassroots storytelling arm of Independent Women.
