WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Jim Justice (R-WV) and six other Republican colleagues in sending a letter to the National Collegiate Athlete Association (NCAA) President Charlie Baker, urging the organization to clarify its stance on the participation of biological males in female sports. For the past four years, Democrats have waged a war against female athletes – allowing over 900 men to compete in women’s sports, share their locker rooms, and earn scholarships designed for women. In February, President Trump signed a historic Executive Order banning men from competing in women’s sports. Following the President’s Executive Order, the NCAA updated its policy to prevent men from competing in women’s sports. However, aside from competition, it is unclear what biological males have access to under the NCAA’s new policy.
“In response to President Trump’s order, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) updated its student-athlete participation policy to bar biological male students from participating in women’s sports. We commend the NCAA’s quick action to comply with President Trump’s order and write to encourage the NCAA to take additional steps to protect the safety and privacy of female athletes nationwide.
There is an opportunity to clarify that these guarantees do not include access to facilities that would undermine the privacy and safety of female athletes–such as women’s locker rooms or other female-only spaces— which the President’s order made clear should be protected,” they added. “We ask that the NCAA consider adding language to its policy that explicitly bars biological male athletes from female-only spaces and to consider adopting additional privacy protections for women and girls in sports,” wrote the Senators.
Joining Senators Tuberville and Justice are U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim Risch (R-ID, and Jim Banks (R-IN) in sending the letter.
Read full text of the letter below or here.
“Dear President Baker,
On February 5, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order-Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports- to strengthen Title IX and protect opportunities for biological female athletes to compete in safe and fair sports. After the Biden-Harris administration’s assault on Title IX in its efforts to allow biologically male athletes who identify as female to compete in women’s sports, this order came as a sigh of relief to millions of female athletes across the country who desire equal opportunity to engage in competitive athletics.
In response to President Trump’s order, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) updated its student-athlete participation policy to bar biological male students from participating in women’s sports. We commend the NCAA’s quick action to comply with President Trump’s order and write to encourage the NCAA to take additional steps to protect the safety and privacy of female athletes nationwide.
The NCAA’s new policy makes clear that biological male student-athletes may not compete on a women’s team. We could not be more supportive of this essential policy change. The NCAA’s policy guarantees that biological male athletes who practice with female athletes will “receive all other benefits applicable to student-athletes who are otherwise eligible for practice.” There is an opportunity to clarify that these guarantees do not include access to facilities that would undermine the privacy and safety of female athletes–such as women’s locker rooms or other female-only spaces— which the President’s order made clear should be protected. We ask that the NCAA consider adding language to its policy that explicitly bars biological male athletes from female-only spaces and to consider adopting additional privacy protections for women and girls in sports.
We also applaud the NCAA’s policy defining “sex assigned at birth” as the male or female designation that doctors assign to infants at birth, which is marked on their birth records—e.g. birth certificate. Publicly, the NCAA has affirmed that biological male athletes may not compete on a women’s team with amended birth certificates or by other documentary means. The NCAA’s public stance on this issue is commendable, and its policy could go a step further and explicitly state that amended birth certificates are prohibited.
We stand in support of President Trump’s unparallel actions to protect the safety and privacy of female athletes across the country. The NCAA’s efforts are likewise respectable, and we look forward to working with you to ensure women and girls have equal opportunity in athletics.
Sincerely,”
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
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