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NCAA responds to Trump’s order banning men from women’s sports

February 6, 2025 | | Print Article

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is “reviewing” President Donald Trump’s executive action to protect women’s sports and called it a “clear, national standard.”

NCAA President Charlie Baker issued a statement following the president’s signing of an executive order that bars transgender female athletes from competing in women’s and girls’ sports. The “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order was signed Wednesday on National Girls & Women in Sports Day.

Trump was surrounded by female athletes as he signed the order in the East Room of the White House.

The NCAA president said the organization would take “necessary steps” to align its policy in a statement issued Wednesday evening.

“The NCAA is an organization made up of 1,100 colleges and universities in all 50 states that collectively enroll more than 530,000 student-athletes,” the statement said. “We strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today’s student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions. To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard.”

“The NCAA Board of Governors is reviewing the executive order and will take necessary steps to align NCAA policy in the coming days, subject to further guidance from the administration,” Baker continued.

“The Association will continue to help foster welcoming environments on campuses for all student-athletes. We stand ready to assist schools as they look for ways to support any student-athletes affected by changes in the policy,” the statement concluded.

Baker, a former professional football player, had urged lawmakers to pass legislation when he testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in December.

Felicia Martin, vice president of the NCAA’s Eligibility Center, said the Board of Governors was already “having conversations” about next steps.

“We know that this is an issue and a national conversation happening around participation,” she said at a congressional briefing in Washington. “The Board of Governors is right now having conversations about what potential next steps might be, but this is absolutely one of those issues that is ongoing.”

“But without a national standard that can be applied across the board, all of us are making decisions based on what we think is the best for student-athletes and opportunities,” she added.

Before signing the order, Trump said “It’s all about common sense,” adding that “women’s sports will be only for women. The war on women’s sports is over.”

“He does expect the Olympic committee and the NCAA to no longer allow men to compete in women’s sports,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a briefing ahead of the order being signed.

“I think the president, with the signing of his pen, starts a very public pressure campaign on these organizations to do the right thing for women and for girls,” she added. “Again, this is an incredibly popular position. There have been many notable female athletes who have had the courage to speak out against some very powerful institutions in this country. They deserve to have a voice and a say. The president is bringing their voice to the highest level of the White House. He expects these organizations to comply with this federal executive order he will be signing today.”

Independent Women ambassadors Riley Gaines, Payton McNabb, Paula Scanlan, Sia Liilii, Lauren Miller, Kim Russell, Kaitlynn Wheeler, Linnea Saltz, and Lily Mullens joined the president as he signed the order Wednesday, Fox News reported.

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