U.S. Senator Rick Scott, alongside Senator Marsha Blackburn and 21 other Republican colleagues, has called on National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) President Charlie Baker to revise the association’s student-athlete policy to ensure only biologically female students can compete in women’s sports.
In their letter, the senators stated, “Amid the Biden-Harris administration’s unprecedented assault on Title IX, we write to urge the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to update your student-athlete participation policy to require that only biologically female students participate in women’s sports.”
“The 2024 Summer Olympics are upon us, and the NCAA has boasted about its athletes’ participation. Yet the NCAA has still taken no steps to protecting a critical portion of these athletes. Several organizations—including the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport—in addition to more than 20 states, have acted recently to protect women’s sports. We urge the NCAA to follow suit and take similar action to promote fair play,” said the lawmakers.
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The letter has received endorsements from Riley Gaines, Concerned Women for America, Heritage Action, the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, Independent Women’s Forum, the Independent Women’s Law Center, Champion Women, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and the Our Bodies, Our Sports Coalition.
Riley Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer, remarked, “The NCAA, in conjunction with the Biden-Harris administration, has turned its back on women by disregarding Title IX and its original intent. It’s unfair, unsafe, and discriminatory. I’m grateful to Senator Blackburn and every senator who has joined this effort to fight for our rights to equal opportunity, privacy, and safety. This is the civil rights issue of our time.”
Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, added, “Men and women are different. Period. Title IX was implemented to give women the same opportunities in sports as their male counterparts. But now those opportunities are being taken away by men identifying as female, with organizations like the NCAA allowing them to compete against women. It’s time the NCAA’s support for female athletes is reflected in its actions.”
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Ryan Walker, Executive Vice President of Heritage Action, commented, “Men do not belong in women’s sports. This obvious truth is backed by science and the majority of Americans. By allowing men to compete in women’s spaces and teams, the NCAA is failing to protect student-athletes from unsafe and unfair competition. The integrity of college sports depends on the NCAA prioritizing the rights of female athletes over political pandering.”
Marshi Smith and Kim Jones, Co-Founders of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), said, “The infiltration of men in women’s sports attacks the fundamental principles of fair and ethical competition. We stand fully behind Senator Blackburn’s letter and call on the NCAA to take immediate action to protect the rights of female athletes.”
Carrie Lukas, President of Independent Women’s Forum, and May Mailman, Director of Independent Women’s Law Center, stated, “The NCAA claims to support female athletes while embracing policies that erase them. Despite pleas from over 7,000 NCAA athletes and demands from various organizations, the NCAA has not acted to repeal its policy allowing male athletes to compete in women’s sports. We are grateful for members of Congress who are urging the NCAA to do the right thing.”
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Nancy Hogshead, J.D., OLY, Founder and CEO of Champion Women, said, “When the NCAA adopted its transgender inclusion policy, we were told cross-sex hormones would remove male advantage. Newer research shows that no amount of hormones or surgery can eliminate male athletic advantage. The NCAA should recognize this well-established science and change its policy to protect women’s sports.”
Hannah Daniel, Director of Public Policy for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, concluded, “Our biblical understanding of gender, along with mounting scientific evidence, underscores the necessity of protecting women in sports. Ignoring biological realities harms women. We support Senator Blackburn’s leadership on this important topic and urge the NCAA to safeguard the fairness and safety of women’s sports.”
The letter was co-signed by Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John Thune (R-S.D.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.).
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