The governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, along with eight other Republican governors, are pressuring the NCAA to rewrite its transgender student-athlete policies to "guarantee a fair environment" for female athletes.
According to The Oklahoman, Stitt and eight other Republican governors penned a letter to the NCAA, saying the association “the chance to guarantee an environment where female college athletes can thrive without the concern of inequities” but must overhaul its existing Transgender Student Athlete Policy to ensure a fair environment.
The governors say the NCAA's current policy leaves national governing body of each sport to determine transgender policies.
“But this policy allows the NCAA to avoid responsibility for ensuring the fairness of collegiate sports — therefore it must be changed,” the governors of South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming wrote in a joint letter addressed to NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports. It also was sent to NCAA President Charlie Baker and the organization’s board of governors.
Oklahoma was the 13th state to ban transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams back in 2022.
Freedom Oklahoma, an advocacy group for LGBTQ+ residents, has previously been critical of legislative efforts to limit transgender athletes from participating in sports, saying that taking opportunities away from transgender kids will only cause irreparable harm and in the end won't protect other children.
In a statement, Stitt said men are biologically different from women.
“We need to ensure a level playing field for female athletes who work hard, who train hard, who are committed to their team, who have dreams to be No. 1 in their sport, who deserve fair competition,” Stitt said. “I signed legislation in Oklahoma protecting women’s sports, and I’m proud to join governors from around the country to call on the NCAA to protect women.”
