Governor responds to NCAA policy change banning transgender women from competing in women's sports

The NCAA will now ban transgender women from competing in women’s sports under a policy change announced Thursday.

The decision by the NCAA’s Board of Governors falls in line with President Donald Trump’s executive order to prohibit any person assigned male at birth or any person assigned female at birth who in the process of transitioning through hormone therapy from competing in any NCAA-sanctioned women’s sport.

New Mexico’s two largest athletic departments are trying to figure out exactly what changes they will need to make.

New Mexico’s governor, meanwhile, is promising to do her part to ensure that the two state schools don’t get caught up in a game of politics that creates division instead of striving for inclusion.

“This is intended to stoke fear and intimidation in America, but I’m working to make sure that New Mexico doesn’t get caught up in the chaos and division that orders like these intend to create,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said.

“Where we don’t have choices, we’ll have to follow the law,” she said. “But in New Mexico we’ll also provide as many equitable opportunities and protections as possible for all people, and that will never change.”

Universities could risk federal funding if they don’t adhere to Trump’s executive order or could risk and athlete or team being barred from competition by not adhering to NCAA policy.

A UNM athletics department spokesman told the Journal the school was not ready to comment when asked whether the university needed to change any of its practices or policies.

An NMSU spokesman told the Journal that no immediate changes or alterations would be needed because there are not currently, nor have there been, student-athletes who meet the criteria specified in the new policy.

The NCAA does not track data on transgender athletes, but NCAA President Charlie Baker told Congress in December that he was aware of fewer than 10 active NCAA athletes who identified as transgender.

One of those athletes, according to unconfirmed reports this past fall, was a volleyball player at San Jose State, which is a member of the Mountain West conference.

UNM and San Jose State volleyball played each other twice this past season.

In a statement released Thursday, the Mountain West said the league “prioritizes the well-being of every student-athlete who competes for our member institutions.”

The statement continues: “In doing so, the Conference strictly adheres to the policies and guidelines set forth by all governing bodies, including our Board of Directors, the NCAA, and directives from the U.S. Government. In response to the President’s Executive Order and subsequent NCAA policy changes, the Mountain West Board of Directors will convene to discuss all necessary policy adjustments to maintain alignment.”

UNM President Garnett S. Stokes is on the Mountain West Board of Directors.

Language included in the NCAA’s policy change states three key things:

• “A student-athlete assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team”

• “A student-athlete assigned female at birth who has begun hormone therapy (e.g., testosterone) may not compete on a women’s team.”

• and “member schools remain responsible for certifying student-athlete eligibility.”