Joco Today

On August 6, 2024, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall joined Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and 21 other Republican colleagues in sending a letter to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) President Charlie Baker. The letter urges the NCAA to update its student-athlete policy to ensure only biologically female students can participate in women’s sports.

The letter criticizes the NCAA for not taking steps to protect fair play in women's sports amid what it describes as "the Biden-Harris administration’s unprecedented assault on Title IX." It states: “We write to urge the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to update your student-athlete participation policy to require that only biologically female students participate in women’s sports.”

The senators argue that biological males have inherent athletic advantages over females due to anatomical and biological differences, including larger hearts, higher red blood count, greater lung capacity, longer endurance, larger muscle mass, differences in bone density and geometry, and lower body fat. They claim these factors result in males outperforming females by 10 to 30 percent in sports relying on endurance, muscle strength, speed, and power.

“In April of this year,” the letter continues, “the NAIA Council of Presidents unanimously approved a new policy prohibiting the participation of males in women’s sports. Similarly, in June of this year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Lia Thomas lacked standing to challenge World Aquatic’s policy barring Thomas from competing in the women’s category for the Olympics.”

Riley Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer stated: “In conjunction with the Biden-Harris administration, the NCAA has turned their back on women by disregarding Title IX and its original intent. It’s unfair; it’s unsafe; it’s discriminatory."

Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America said: “Men and women are different. Period. Title IX was implemented because of that reality… But now those opportunities are being ripped away from them because of men who are identifying as female.”

Ryan Walker from Heritage Action added: “Men do not belong in women’s sports… By giving men access to women’s spaces and teams, the NCAA is violating its responsibility to protect student athletes from unsafe [and] unfair competition.”

Marshi Smith & Kim Jones from Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) echoed similar sentiments: “The infiltration of men in women’s sports is an attack on fundamental principles of fair [and] ethical competition.”

Carrie Lukas from Independent Women’s Forum criticized current policies stating they allow male athletes to compete against females thus taking away opportunities meant for girls.

Nancy Hogshead-Makar emphasized newer research contradicts earlier claims about cross-sex hormones removing male advantage: "Years later... we now know that no amount of hormones or surgery can roll back male athletic advantage."

Hannah Daniel from Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission supported Blackburn's leadership urging protection for women's sports based both on biblical understanding as well as scientific evidence.

The full text of their letter is available online.

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