On Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., NCAA President Charlie Baker confirmed that the NCAA would review President Donald Trump‘s recent executive order aimed at keeping biological men out of women’s sports. This executive order, signed during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, coincided with National Girls & Women in Sports Day and was attended by several prominent female athletes.
In response to Trump’s order, Baker issued a statement emphasizing the need for uniform eligibility standards across the NCAA’s 1,100 member colleges and universities, which collectively enroll over 530,000 student-athletes. He pointed out that the NCAA believes that consistent and clear guidelines would best serve the interests of student-athletes, rather than leaving eligibility up to state laws or court decisions.
“The NCAA Board of Governors is reviewing the executive order and will take necessary steps to align NCAA policy in the coming days,” Baker stated. He assured that the NCAA remains committed to creating welcome environments for all student-athletes and will assist schools in adapting their policies.
Trump, during the signing, expressed his view that women’s sports should solely be for women, stating that “the war on women’s sports is over.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt supported this notion, emphasizing that Trump expects the NCAA, along with other sports organizations, to comply with this new national standard.
In a related discussion, Felicia Martin, vice president of the NCAA’s Eligibility Center, noted that conversations about potential policy changes are already underway. She highlighted the ongoing national conversation about participation and emphasized the importance of establishing a national standard that applies uniformly.
As the NCAA Board of Governors continues to deliberate, it is clear that this topic will remain a significant part of the national sports conversation in the coming days.
