Federal Court Narrows but Does Not End Debate Over Transgender Athletes and Title IX in College Sports

Whether and how transgender women may participate in women’s collegiate sports remains one of the most closely watched issues in the country. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia’s September 2025 decision in Gaines v. National Collegiate Athletic Association—a case brought by former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines and other cisgender female college athletes—illustrates the unsettled legal terrain as state legislatures, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and federal courts address overlapping questions of eligibility and nondiscrimination.Read More