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Republicans Can’t Stop Talking About Banning Trans Athletes
Confirmed
In Short: In June, the Supreme Court ruled that states can lawfully bar trans student-athletes from competing in line with their gender identity, a decision that has fueled ongoing debates about the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports.
The bill, which passed with a 77-22 vote, allows the NCAA and schools to set and enforce rules around athlete eligibility and transfers without fear of antitrust lawsuits.
It also raises the cap on direct payments to athletes to around $49 million, more than doubling the previous limit.
The bill's supporters, including more than 70 senators from both parties, argue it aims to end the 'chaos' in college sports caused by skyrocketing athlete payments and unrestricted transfers.
Critics, however, argue the bill does not do enough to protect athletes or curtail the enormous sums of money flowing to coaches, colleges, and conferences.
Some Democrats have recently voiced support for restrictions on trans athletes, but it is Republicans who are bringing up the issue, according to Lanae Erickson, senior vice president at Third Way, a centrist Democratic advocacy group.
In Florida, the Republican Party of Florida claimed that 'boys WILL be allowed to compete in girls’ sports' if Jolly, a former Republican congressman, is elected governor in November. However, Jolly, who now holds the Democratic nomination, would not have the authority to change the current law that has prohibited trans student-athletes from joining sports teams that match their gender identity for over five years.
In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton drew outrage from LGBTQ+ groups when she told a local newspaper that she would not support boys playing in girls’ sports as governor, citing a 2024 state law that already bars trans women and girls from K-12 and collegiate sports.
The bill must now pass the House, which is not due back in session until after the November elections.
Critics argue that the bill leaves open the question of whether athletes should be considered university employees with collective bargaining rights, and opponents argue it gives too much power to school officials accused of exploiting players to make money for the university.
What this adds
The bill's passage marks a significant step in establishing national standards for college sports, addressing issues of athlete compensation and transfers.
The debate over trans athletes continues to be a contentious issue in both political and sports circles, with ongoing legal and legislative battles.
What's confirmed
- In a Facebook post earlier that week, the Republican Party of Florida had claimed “boys WILL be allowed to compete in girls’ sports” if Jolly, a former Republican congressman who has objected to sweeping state bans on trans student-athletes, is elected in November.
- But Jolly, who secured the Democratic nomination for governor last month, would not have the authority to do so: Florida law has prohibited trans student-athletes from joining sports teams that match their gender identity for more than five years.
- Some Democrats have recently voiced support for restrictions on trans athletes, but “it’s Republicans that are bringing it up,” said Lanae Erickson, senior vice president at Third Way, a centrist Democratic advocacy group and think tank.
- Sand, Iowa’s state auditor since 2019, has said in interviews that he does not support allowing trans students to compete in line with their gender identity.
- In Ohio, Democrat Amy Acton drew outrage and disappointment from LGBTQ+ groups over the summer when she told a local newspaper that she would “not support boys playing in girls’ sports” as governor, citing a 2024 state law that already bars trans women and girls from K-12 and collegiate sports.
What's still developing
- In June, the Supreme Court ruled that states can lawfully bar trans student-athletes from competing in line with their gender identity.
- Under the Senate bill, co-authored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), athletes will be allowed to transfer between schools once without sitting out a year and will be subject to the NCAA’s five-year eligibility rule, with the clock starting the academic year after they turn 19 or when they first enroll full-time in college, whichever comes first.
- WASHINGTON — The Senate overwhelmingly passed a sweeping bill regulating college sports Monday, bringing Congress closer than ever before to enacting national standards around where — and for how much — intercollegiate athletes play.
- WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is poised to pass a sweeping bipartisan bill on Monday that would regulate college sports, an attempt to end "chaos" in an industry that has been upended by skyrocketing athlete payments and near-unrestricted transfers between schools.
- Passage of the legislation would be the strongest effort yet by Congress to set national regulations governing payments to college athletes for their name, image and likeness and how often they can transfer.
- It would also give hundreds of thousands of student athletes new health and labor protections.
- His research shows that, over 40 years, Jamaica built not simply a cohort of athletes but an ecosystem capable of discovering and nurturing talent.
- As the students continued talking, the conversation led to a deeper revelation: Bolt was not an exception.
- In July 2020, he told Congress that the NCAA needed a “safe harbor” in order to administer its new NIL rules, which the association was preparing to adopt as states, led by California, moved to enact laws guaranteeing college athletes the right to profit from their name, image and likeness.
- The Senate has passed the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA), adopting a measure that would give the NCAA its long-sought antitrust exemption while creating a uniform national standard for how college athletes can be paid and how long they can play.