NCAA President Charlie Baker stated that the organization does not plan to alter its rules regarding transgender athletes despite a recent Supreme Court ruling permitting states to ban their participation in school sports. Baker emphasized the NCAA's adherence to the national standard established under the Trump administration, which restricts women's teams to athletes recorded female at birth and not undergoing testosterone therapy.
Baker told CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe, "I had said to folks, Democrats and Republicans in Washington, after I got this job, that we needed some sort of clarity around what the national standard for this would be, and we adopted and comply with the standard that was put forth by the Trump administration."
He acknowledged that state-level policies may vary, especially concerning high school and youth sports, but maintained that "our national standard is going to be what we expect our schools to use with respect to eligibility issues for college sports."
The Supreme Court recently ruled that states can enact bans on transgender participation in girls' and women's sports, determining that such policies based on biological sex do not violate the Constitution or Title IX, the federal gender discrimination law.
Baker also noted the rarity of openly transgender collegiate athletes, testifying to Congress in late 2024 that he was aware of fewer than 10. He underscored the importance of having a clear and consistent policy aligned with federal guidelines to eliminate ambiguity in handling these issues.
This interview is set to air on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."
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