At its January 19, 2022 meeting, the NCAA Board of Governors updated the transgender student-athlete participation policy governing college sports.
The new policy aligns transgender student-athlete participation with the Olympic Movement. The resulting sport-by-sport approach preserves opportunity for transgender student-athletes while balancing fairness, inclusion and safety for all who compete.
Like the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the updated NCAA policy calls for transgender student-athlete participation for each sport to be determined by the policy for the national governing body of that sport. If there is no NGB policy for a sport, it would then be determined by the policy for that sport’s international federation. If there is no international federation policy, it would be determined by policy criteria previously established by the International Olympic Committee. Sport-specific polices are subject to ongoing review and recommendation by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports to the Board of Governors.
The policy is effective immediately, with three phases of implementation.
Phase One – 2022 winter and spring championships
For participation in 2022 winter and spring championships, transgender student-athletes were required to provide documentation to the CSMAS within four weeks before the selections date for their championship.
The documentation had to demonstrate compliance with the 2010 NCAA policy, which calls for one year of testosterone suppression treatment. It also had to document a one-time serum testosterone level that fell below the maximum allowable level for the sport in which the student-athlete was competing within four weeks of championship selections for that sport. That means that student-athletes who already fulfilled the 2010 NCAA policy only needed provide one validated serum testosterone level.
Transgender student-athletes who participated in regular season competition (including conference championships) remained subject to the 2010 NCAA policy only.
Phase Two – 2022-23 and 2023-24 regular season and championships
Beginning Aug. 1, 2022, participation in NCAA sports requires transgender student-athletes to provide documentation that meets the above criteria for the 2010 NCAA policy, plus meet the sport standard for documented testosterone levels at three points in time: 1. Prior to any competition during the regular season; 2. Prior to the first competition in an NCAA championship event; and 3. Prior to any competition in the non-championship segment. See the transgender student-athlete eligibility review procedures for more information.
Phase Three – 2024-25 full implementation
Beginning Aug. 1, 2024, participation in NCAA sports requires transgender student-athletes to provide documentation no less than twice annually (and at least once within four weeks of competition in NCAA championships) that meets the sport-specific standard (which may include testosterone levels, mitigation timelines and other aspects of sport-governing body policies) as reviewed and approved by CSMAS. More information about the specific application of Phase Three will be provided prior to implementation.
Additional flexibility
The Board of Governors urged the divisions to allow for additional, future eligibility if a transgender student-athlete loses eligibility based on the policy change, provided they meet the newly adopted standards.
The NCAA’s Office of Inclusion and Sport Science Institute also released the Gender Identity and Student-Athlete Participation Summit Final Report. The report assists ongoing membership efforts to support an inclusive environment that promotes and develops the mental and physical health of transgender and non-binary student-athletes in collegiate sport. The foundational principles in this report will be developed further in conjunction with the Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity, CSMAS and other core membership committees that address gender identity.
