The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) implemented a new policy on Monday that bars biological males from competing in women’s sports.
Monday’s announcement came after the NAIA Council of Presidents approved the policy in a 20-0 vote.
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The big picture: This decision affects 249 small colleges across the country that are part of the NAIA and does not apply to NCAA competitions.
- That includes UC Merced, the only university in the Central Valley that is part of the NAIA.
- The new policy also bars female athletes who have started masculinizing hormone therapy from participating in women’s sports.
- The new policy was influenced by a December survey showing widespread support for the move among 68 schools’ CEOs, with 58 in favor of the policy change.
Read the policy: Student-athletes may participate in NAIA competition in accordance with the following conditions:
A. Participation by students in sports designated as male by the NAIA: All eligible NAIA student-athletes may participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports.
B. Participation by students in sports designated as female by the NAIA: Only NAIA student-athletes whose biological sex is female may participate in NAIA-sponsored female sports. They may participate under the following conditions:
A student who has not begun any masculinizing hormone therapy may participate without limitation.
A student who has begun masculinizing hormone therapy may participate in:
a. All activities that are internal to the institution (does not include external competition), including workouts, practices, and team activities. Such participation is at the discretion of the NAIA member institution where the student is enrolled; and
b. External competition that is not a countable contest as defined by the NAIA (per NAC Policy Article XXV, Section A, Item 12). Such participation is at the discretion of the NAIA member institution where the student is enrolled.
An NAIA institution that has a student-athlete who has begun masculinizing hormone therapy must notify the NAIA national office. The national office will take the necessary steps to provide appropriate privacy protections.
This policy will be subject to review in light of any legal, scientific, or medical developments.
