College Policies
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has a complete policy outlining transgender student-athlete participation in NCAA sports. Colleges not governed by the NCAA may have different policies. School-specific procedures for working with trans athletes may differ at each institution. Use the links below to find the NCAA policies, as well as specific school listings.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which organizes competition in 23 sports at over 1,000 colleges and universities, updated its policy on transgender athletes on January 19, 2022 to move to a sport by sport approach. The new policy references the 2010 version and adds new requirements:
2022 Updated Transgender Athlete Policy
From the NCAA news release: "The policy is effective starting with the 2022 winter championships. Transgender student-athletes will need to document sport-specific testosterone levels beginning four weeks before their sport's championship selections. Starting with the 2022-23 academic year, transgender student-athletes will need documented levels at the beginning of their season and a second documentation six months after the first. They will also need documented testosterone levels four weeks before championship selections. Full implementation would begin with the 2023-24 academic year."
"The updated NCAA policy calls for transgender participation for each sport to be determined by the policy for the national governing body of that sport, subject to ongoing review and recommendation by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports to the Board of Governors. If there is no NGB policy for a sport, that sport's international federation policy would be followed. If there is no international federation policy, previously established IOC policy criteria (2015 Consensus Statement) would be followed."
NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Association
DOWNLOAD: Champions of Respect. 2012, NCAA Office of Inclusion.
NAIA - National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), the governing body for mostly small colleges, announced a policy April 8, 2024 that bans transgender athletes from competing in women's sports if they have ever gone through a testosterone-driven puberty.
"Student-athletes may participate in NAIA competition in accordance with the following conditions.
A. Participation by students in sports designated as male by the NAIA:
All eligible NAIA student-athletes may participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports.
B. Participation by students in sports designated as female by the NAIA:
Only NAIA student-athletes whose biological sex* is female may participate in NAIA-sponsored female sports. They may participate under the following conditions:
1. A student who has not begun any masculinizing hormone therapy may participate without limitation.
2. A student who has begun masculinizing hormone therapy may participate in:
a. All activities that are internal to the institution (does not include external
competition), including workouts, practices, and team activities. Such participation is
at the discretion of the NAIA member institution where the student is enrolled; and
b. External competition that is not a countable contest as defined by the NAIA (per NAC Policy Article XXV, Section A, Item 12). Such participation is at the discretion of the NAIA member institution where the student is enrolled.
• A trans female (MTF) transgender student-athlete who is not taking hormone treatments related to gender transition may not compete on a women’s team.
DOWNLOAD: Transgender policy (2024)
Individual College Policies
Policies and procedures vary by institution. To view each of the listed college and university's transgender student-athlete policies, click the name of the institution.
Augsburg College (MN) Augsburg College Transgender Inclusion Policy for Intercollegiate Athletics; Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science Classes; and Intramural Sports Activities
Bates College (ME) Bates Athletics Transgender Inclusion Policies
Brandeis University (MA) Athletics Transgender Student Inclusion Policy
Clarion University (PA) Athletic Department Transgender Inclusion Policy
Coastal Carolina University (SC) Athletic Training Department Policy and Procedure Manual Transgender Student-Athletes
Grand Valley State University (MI) Athletic Department's Policy on Transgender Student-Athletes
Grinnell (IA) Transgender Athlete Non-Discrimination and Participation Policy
Haverford College (PA) Guidelines for Transgender Student-Athlete Participation
Lafayette College (PA) Transgender Policy
Lewis & Clark (OR) Inclusion of Transgender Student Athletes
Macalaster College (MN) Transgender Inclusion Policies for Intercollegiate Athletics, Club Sports and Intramural Sports Activities
Marietta College (OH) Athletic Department Policy on Transgender Student-Athletes
McDaniel College (MA) Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Guide
Mills College (CA) Report on Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Fluid Students Best Practices, Assessment and Recommendations
Oberlin College (OH) Guidelines for Inclusion and Respectful Treatment of Intercollegiate Transgender Student-Athletes
Purchase College (NY) Transgender Student Athlete Inclusion Policies
Sarah Lawrence College (NY) Inclusion Policy
The Sage Colleges (NY) Trans* and Gender Inclusion Campus Policy
The State University of New York at Buffalo (NY) Inclusion Policy of Transgender Student-Athletes
SUNY Oneonta (NY) Transgender Resource Guide (page 9)
SUNY Potsdam (NY) Athletics Transgender Policy
UC Berkeley (CA) Transgender/Gender Non-Conforming (T/GNC) Student Athlete Participation in UC Berkeley Intercollegiate
UNC Charlotte (NC) Guidance for Transgender Student Athletes
University of Richmond (VA) Trans Policy
University of Southern California (CA) Inclusive Athletics for Transgender Students
Wellesley College (MA) Varsity & Club Sport Participation of Transgender Student-Athletes Guidelines
Westminster College (UT)
Women's Colleges
Bryn Mawr College (PA) Varsity and Club Sport Participation of Transgender Student-Athletes Guidelines
Mills College (CA) Report on Inclusion of Transgender and Gender Fluid Students Best Practices, Assessment and Recommendations
Smith College (MA) Guide to Club Sports Appendices
Wellesley College (MA) Varsity & Club Sport Participation of Transgender Student-Athletes Guidelines
NAIA Schools
Ottawa College (KS) Transgender Guidelines
National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association
The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA), which governs collegiate recreational sports that participate in the NIRSA championship series, has a transgender inclusive policy which will begin in Spring 2015. The policy states:
"NIRSA recognizes and celebrates the transgender student population among their tournament participants. Through the guiding policies of the NIRSA Championship Series tournaments, NIRSA empowers students to participate in intramural sports and sport club divisions based on their expressed gender identity."
DOWNLOAD: NIRSA Updates to Policies and Tournament Materials around Transgender Athlete Participation in NIRSA Championship Series Events - January 2015.
Trans-Inclusive Intramural and Club Team Athletic Policies
Bates College (ME)
Brandeis University (MA)
Bryn Mawr College (PA)
Carleton College (MN)
Emory University (GA)
Kent State (OH)
Louisiana State University (LA)
Oberlin College (all intramural teams are mixed-gender) (Ohio)
Sacramento State (CA)
Saint Joseph's University (PA)
Smith College (MA)
UC Berkeley (CA)
University of Colorado, Boulder (CO)
University of Massachusetts, Amherst (MA)
University of North Carolina (NC)
University of Vermont (VT)
Washington State University (WA)
Westminster College (UT)
Williams College (MA)
Additionally, other colleges have written policies for inclusion in terms of restrooms and locker rooms, but handle disputes in the event of competitive/league tournament participation on a case by case basis, usually in accordance to the rules of the sport's governing body. The following schools allow athletes to participate based on their gender identity:
University of California Berkeley (CA)
University of Central Florida (FL)
University of New Hampshire (NH)
Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TX)
College Conferences and Special Policies
Centennial Conference
Centennial Conference (ECCC) announced on October 1, 2021 its inclusive practices for transgender and non-binary student-athletes within the conference and ensuring full support and participation for all athletes. Centennial Conference is a NCAA Division III conference.
LINK: Centennial Conference Student-Athlete Inclusion Policy
Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference
Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC) announced on March 7, 2014 its policy for trans inclusion in cycling within the conference. ECCC is one of 11 conferences which make up USA Cycling Collegiate, and is the first to make a policy. ECCC also includes gender and perceived gender identity within its inclusivity statement.
LINK: ECCC policy on diversity
North Atlantic Conference
North Atlantic Conference (NAC) policy "is based on current NCAA policy related to transgender student athlete participation and medical exceptions for the use of banned drugs. The NAC, through its governance structure, is committed to continually reviewing this information on an ongoing basis as the landscape is one of continual growth and development." NAC is a NCAA Division III conference.
New England Small College Athletic Conference
The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) policy for transgender athletes is based on the NCAA policy related to transgender student-athlete participation and medical exceptions for the use of banned drugs. The policies below clarify participation of transgender student-athletes undergoing hormonal treatment for gender transition:
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A trans male (FTM) student-athlete who has received a medical exception for treatment with testosterone, for purposes of NCAA and NESCAC competition may compete on a men’s team, but is no longer eligible to compete on a women’s team without changing that team status to a mixed team.
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A trans female (MTF) student-athlete being treated with testosterone suppression medication, for the purposes of NCAA and NESCAC competition may continue to compete on a men’s team but may not compete on a women’s team without changing it to a mixed team status until completing one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment.
Any transgender student-athlete who is not taking hormone treatment related to gender transition may participate in sex-separated sports activities in accordance with his or her assigned birth gender.
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A trans male (FTM) student-athlete who is not taking testosterone related to gender transition may participate on a men’s or women’s team.
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A trans female (MTF) transgender student-athlete who is not taking hormone treatments related to gender transition may not compete on a women’s team.
LINK: NESCAC Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy
Canada
Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) policy uses hormone status as the indicator for area of play. By comparison to other policies, this policy seems restrictive for trans men who do not wish to take hormones.
"A trans male (FTM) student‐athlete being treated with testosterone for diagnosed Gender Identity Disorder or gender dysphoria may compete on a men’s team, but is no longer eligible to compete on a women’s team. A trans female (MTF) student‐athlete being treated with testosterone suppression medication for Gender Identity Disorder or gender dysphoria may continue to compete on a men’s team but may not compete on a women’s team until completing one calendar year of testosterone suppression treatment.
Any transgender student‐athlete who is not taking hormone treatment related to gender transition may participate in sex‐separated sports activities in accordance with his or her assigned birth gender. A trans male (FTM) student‐athlete who is not taking testosterone related to gender transition may participate on a women’s team. A trans female (MTF) transgender student‐athlete who is not taking hormone treatments related to gender transition may participate on a men’s team."
DOWNLOAD: Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association policy on transgender athletes