As more and more states pass anti-transgender legislation, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) has released a statement saying the organization “firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports.”
The rights of trans people have been under extreme attack with more than 20 states introducing anti-trans bills this year alone, and young trans athletes have been at the center of this fight. The NCAA has been under pressure from LGBTQIA advocacy groups to step in and use its immense influence by refusing to hold championships in states that pass anti-trans laws. And while the org didn’t explicitly say that in their statement, the implication seems pretty clear.
“When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected,” the statement reads. “We will continue to closely monitor these situations to determine whether NCAA championships can be conducted in ways that are welcoming and respectful of all participants.”
The NCAA has refused to let states with baseless, fearmongering, unscientific anti-trans laws host championships in the past. In 2016, North Carolina passed its restrictive “bathroom bill,” the first in the country to make its way into law. As a result, the NCAA and other sports organizations pulled games from the state. These sorts of tournaments aren’t just a boon for the schools that host them—they bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from tourism.
The city of San Antonio did a study in 2017 predicting the financial impact of a proposed anti-trans bill that was currently being debated by lawmakers (as noted by NPR). It was estimated that if the NCAA pulled the Final Four basketball tournament from the state, the city would lose out on nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. So when they make a statement like this, it’s a big deal.
Today the NCAA confirmed it will pull events from states with bills banning trans students from participating in school sports.
State lawmakers take note: discriminating against trans youth is wrong, against the law, and costly.
— ACLU (@ACLU) April 12, 2021
In fact, we can already see the effect the NCAA’s potential policies are having on these bills. South Dakota’s Republican governor Kristi Noem said she was “excited” to sign her state’s ironically-named “Women’s Fairness in Sports” bill, but she ended up sending it back to lawmakers for changes. The bill would bar transgender students from playing on the teams and leagues that match their gender identity. Noem asked that the bill not apply to college athletes. Tucker Carlson accused her of “caving” to the NCAA.
While keeping anti-trans rules out of college sports is just one step in the right direction towards full rights for transgender people, it is important to see such a major organization wield their influence in this way.
(image: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
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