Published on April 10, 2024, 12:40 am

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), an organization governing sports across over 240 smaller colleges, recently made a significant policy change. Starting Monday, they declared that male athletes identifying as transgender will no longer be allowed to participate in women’s teams. This new policy, unanimously approved during the NAIA Council of Presidents’ annual assembly held at Kansas City, Missouri headquarters, stresses encouraging “fair and safe competition” among all student-athletes.

Trusted news sources affirm the new NAIA regulation specifies that only those with biological female sex are eligible to play in any female sports sponsored by the NAIA. Moreover, biological women currently taking masculinizing hormone therapy may still take part in team activities and trainings on women’s teams—however, they will not be granted permission to compete against other institutions.

Meanwhile, per the instituted rule, all “eligible” student-athletes are free to compete on male teams. The guiding principle behind this stipulation is each sport covered by NAIA involves a combination of strength, speed, and stamina—qualities which provide competitive advantages for males, hence their application across almost all sports with a notable exception for competitive cheer and choreographed dance.

Real news channel reports situate this decision coming from a task force established by the NAIA in 2022 specifically to dissect issues regarding trans-identifying athletes. Prior to this year, rules were adapted from those followed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). However since 2022 began, each sport has been evaluated individually when it comes to allowing trans-identifying men participation against women. After two years of careful consideration and analysis by the task force assigned for this matter eventually led them towards proposing a ban on such participation which resulted in Monday’s ruling.

Starting August 1st this ruling is primed for effective implementation – perfectly aligned with kick-starting next school year’s athletic endeavors under its guideline.

NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr conveyed that fairness in competition remains their primary duty. He acknowledges the emotional nature of this regulation, its potential to spark debate, but asserts that the organization aimed at facilitating some level of participation for all.

Furthermore, over the past academic year, 241 schools with 83,000 student-athletes vying for 28 national championships have been affiliated with the NAIA.

It’s worthy remembering that just last month more than a dozen women athletes filed a lawsuit against NCAA on account of their transgender policy. This includes former college swimmer Riley Gaines who contended against biological male Lia Thomas at the 2022 national championship while also sharing a locker room with Thomas.

This recent move by NAIA could bear significant implications on the field and off it – spanning student-athletes, institutions, and shaping future policies considering a Christian worldview advocating fairness in sports.