NCAA Defends Women's Sports Record Amid Lawsuit Dismissal

The NCAA has asserted its commitment to women's sports following the dismissal of a Title IX lawsuit brought by swimmer Riley Gaines and other female athletes. A federal judge granted summary judgment to the NCAA, ruling that the organization does not qualify as a recipient of federal financial assistance, a prerequisite for liability under Title IX.

The lawsuit, filed in March 2024, alleged that the NCAA's policies allowed biological males to compete in women's events, citing the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships where transgender swimmer Lia Thomas won an event. Gaines and other plaintiffs claimed these policies violated their Title IX rights.

In its statement, the NCAA affirmed its compliance with former President Donald Trump's executive order on women's sports, stating, "The NCAA is proud to continually invest in and expand women’s sports and the NCAA is in full compliance with the Trump administration’s executive order on women’s sports." The organization did not directly address the specific allegations in the lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson concluded that the evidence did not establish the NCAA as a recipient of federal financial assistance, thereby dismissing the Title IX claims. The ruling focused on the NCAA's concussion research collaboration with the Department of Defense, finding that both entities maintained separate funding streams and that the NCAA itself did not receive federal funds.

Gaines and the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS), which funded the lawsuit, have announced their intention to appeal the decision to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "This momentary setback will not deter me or other women athletes in the least," Gaines stated. "Rest assured, we will be appealing this decision."

ICONS responded critically to the NCAA's statement, posting on social media, "No promises to women. No assurances. No accountability. The weakest possible response: empty words on a page."

The NCAA's previous transgender-athlete policies, which allowed biological males to compete in women's events, are no longer in effect. Following Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports" executive order in February 2025, which directed federal agencies to enforce Title IX based on biological sex, the NCAA updated its policy the next day. The current rules limit participation on women's teams to athletes assigned female at birth, though athletes assigned male at birth may practice with women's teams and receive related medical care.

ICONS co-founders Kim Jones and Marshi Smith have argued that the NCAA's successful defense against Title IX liability demonstrates that Congress should not grant the organization additional authority through the Protect College Sports Act. Smith urged members of Congress to oppose the legislation, which recently passed the Senate.