A proposed piece of legislation, dubbed the "Protect College Sports Act," is drawing criticism for potentially weakening existing protections for women's sports. Critics argue that the bill's language could undermine the 27 state laws currently in place that restrict transgender athletes from competing in women's sports, and grant the NCAA significant authority over Title IX enforcement.
Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, a prominent activist for women's sports, expressed concerns that the act, despite its name, could inadvertently harm the very athletes it purports to protect. Gaines stated that the bill contains provisions that could be used by transgender activists to challenge state-level eligibility rules designed to ensure fairness in women's athletics. She highlighted her personal experiences, including competing against transgender athletes and witnessing locker room incidents, as reasons for her strong stance.
"The Protect College Sports Act sounds great. Who wouldn’t want to protect college sports?" Gaines wrote. "But buried in dozens of pages about athlete compensation and coaching transitions is language that threatens existing state laws, including laws that protect fairness in women's sports."
According to Gaines, the bill limits the ability of states to enact or enforce sports eligibility rules, potentially allowing individuals to argue that state laws prohibiting males from competing on women's teams are no longer valid. She also pointed to the bill's reliance on the NCAA for enforcement, questioning the organization's track record on safeguarding women's sports. Gaines cited the NCAA's past opposition to state-level protections and its handling of cases involving transgender athletes, such as swimmer Lia Thomas.
President Donald Trump has publicly urged Congress to pass the "Protect College Sports Act." However, critics like Gaines suggest that the bill's wording is unclear and could be exploited. They argue that if the intent was solely to protect existing state laws, the legislation could have been amended to explicitly state that. The concern is that the bill might serve as a vehicle for transgender rights activists to challenge established rules.
"The bill’s supporters will tell you I’m reading it wrong," Gaines stated. "They say limitations on state laws governing eligibility should be read narrowly—that it only blocks a few specific eligibility rules, not state laws protecting women’s sports. But here’s my question: if that’s what they meant, why didn’t they just write it that way?"
Past administrations have seen efforts to define sex-based distinctions in sports, including executive orders aimed at restricting transgender participation in women's athletics. Gaines emphasized the importance of ensuring fair competition for young women, drawing parallels to the initial promises of Title IX.
"I’m not asking for anything radical. I’m asking for what girls in this country were promised 50 years ago: a fair shot," Gaines said. "No bill should pass that leaves women’s sports laws or our hard-fought Title IX protections open to being gutted. Women’s sports are not a bargaining chip."