NCAA Planning New Policy On Transgender Following Latest Lia Thomas Controversy

The NCAA plans to adopt new regulations in the wake of the growing controversy tied to Lia Thomas.

The 22-year-old is a transgender swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania and shattered several records for the women’s swim team.

Unfortunately, this has raised criticism and now the NCAA is planning to adopt a new sport-by-sport approach.

Thomas’ story has been going on for months. She previously competed as a man for three years for Penn before the transition.

According to the NCAA, Thomas and transgender student-athletes will be required to document sport-specific testosterone levels four weeks before their sport’s championship selections. This is effective at the start of the 2022-23 academic year where transgender student-athletes must provide additional documentation six months after the first.

As of this writing, it remains unclear when Thomas transitioned from male to female. Per NCAA rules, at least one year of testosterone suppression treatment is required to be able to compete as a woman.

Several prominent personalities have already aired their opinion on the issue. That includes Michael Phelps and Caitlyn Jenner.

“I think this leads back to the organizing committees again,” Phelps said to CNN. “Because it has to be a level playing field. That’s something that we all need. Because that’s what sports are. For me, I don’t know where this is going to go. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I’ve said from the beginning, biological boys should not be playing in women’s sports,” Jenner, on the other hand, said to Fox News. “We need to protect women’s sports.”

Under the new guidelines, transgender participation for each sport will be determined by the policy for the sport’s national governing body. This will also be subject to review and recommendation by an NCAA committee to the Board of Governors.

“It is important that NCAA member schools, conferences and college athletes compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment and can move forward with a clear understanding of the new policy,” Georgetown President John DeGioia stated.