NCAA President Charlie Baker says the country’s top college sports organization does not expect to change its current rules on transgender athletes after a major U.S. Supreme Court decision allowed states to enforce bans on transgender girls and women competing in female sports.
Speaking on CBS News’ Face the Nation, Baker said the NCAA had already adopted a national standard in 2025 after President Donald Trump signed an executive order addressing transgender participation in women’s sports. Under the NCAA’s current policy, women’s sports are limited to athletes assigned female at birth who meet the organization’s eligibility standards. Men’s sports remain open, which Baker described as the “open network.”
Baker said the NCAA needed clarity on a national standard and decided to comply with the policy direction set by the Trump administration. He suggested the Supreme Court ruling may have a larger impact at the state level than inside the NCAA, where the policy has already been changed.
The Supreme Court ruling, issued on June 30, upheld laws in Idaho and West Virginia that exclude transgender girls and women from competing in female school sports. The 6-3 decision was a major legal victory for conservative states and for Trump, who repeatedly campaigned on the issue of what he described as “men in women’s sports.”
TRENDING TODAY
The ruling found that such state bans do not violate Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. The decision could strengthen similar laws already passed in more than two dozen states and may shape ongoing legal fights in places with different rules, including states that allow transgender athletes to compete based on gender identity.
The issue has become one of the most visible cultural and legal battles in American education and sports. Supporters of restrictions argue that sex-based categories are necessary to protect fairness, safety and opportunity in women’s athletics. Opponents argue that broad bans discriminate against transgender students and can exclude a very small number of athletes from school and college life.
Baker has previously told Congress that the NCAA was aware of only a small number of transgender athletes among more than 500,000 college athletes. That figure has been used by critics of the political fight to argue that the issue has received far more attention than its actual scale inside college sports. Supporters of the restrictions argue that even a small number of cases can raise important questions about competitive fairness.
For colleges and universities, the Supreme Court ruling may bring legal clarity in some states but also practical complexity. Schools must now navigate NCAA policy, state law, federal guidance and possible future litigation. In states with strict bans, athletic departments may face fewer policy choices. In states without bans, schools may still have to align with NCAA rules if they compete under the organization’s system.
The ruling also affects families and student athletes beyond the college level. Many high school and youth sports programs are governed by state athletic associations, not the NCAA. That means the Supreme Court decision could have a more direct effect on younger students, depending on where they live and what their state laws require.
Baker said he believes the NCAA’s current policy is workable and that most member schools do not appear to object to it. He also said inclusivity remains important to the organization, though critics are likely to challenge whether the current policy can be described as inclusive for transgender athletes.
The political debate is unlikely to fade. Conservative lawmakers are expected to point to the Supreme Court ruling as validation of state-level bans. LGBTQ+ rights groups and civil rights advocates are expected to continue opposing broad exclusions and may focus on state-level protections, school policies and future lawsuits.
Why It Matters
This matters because the Supreme Court ruling and NCAA policy together could shape the future of school and college sports across the country. For athletes, families and schools, the decision affects eligibility, competition rules and civil rights protections. For voters, it also shows how sports have become a major front in the broader political fight over gender, education and federal power.
What Comes Next
The NCAA is expected to keep its current transgender athlete policy in place, while states continue enforcing or defending their own laws. More lawsuits may follow in states with different rules, and schools will likely seek clearer guidance on how to balance NCAA standards, state law and federal civil rights obligations. The issue is also likely to remain part of the 2026 midterm debate.
NCAA President Charlie Baker said the organization does not expect to change its transgender athlete policy after the Supreme Court ruling.
NCAA president Charlie Baker said Sunday he doesn’t think the organization’s policy on transgender-athlete participation will be changed after the Supreme Court’s decision. 🤨https://t.co/o7R5XosuC9
— Jannine.. #MagaMemeQueen ™️ 👑🇺🇸 (@janninereid1) July 5, 2026
