Kim Jones, a former All-American collegiate tennis player and co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), had a strong message for President Donald Trump amid ongoing criticism of the NCAA’s new policy on transgender athletes, which some argue still contains loopholes. Following Trump’s executive order banning biological males from competing in women’s sports, the NCAA quickly reversed its policy on transgender inclusion.
Jones urged Trump to push the NCAA to revise its policy once more. “Call the NCAA back to the table and tell them to put the policy in the garbage can, light it on fire, and start over,” she stated during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.”
She was among those who believe the current policy fails to adequately protect female athletes in college sports. A primary concern is that the policy may allow transgender athletes to circumvent restrictions by altering their birth certificates. In the U.S., 44 states permit changes to birth certificates to reflect a person’s gender identity, with only Florida, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Montana prohibiting such changes. Additionally, 14 states, including California, New York, Massachusetts, and Michigan, allow these changes without requiring medical documentation.
The NCAA clarified that it will not permit transgender athletes to compete in women’s categories based on amended birth certificates. A spokesperson stated, “The policy is clear that there are no waivers available, and athletes assigned male at birth may not compete on a women’s team with amended birth certificates or other forms of ID.”
Jones emphasized that the NCAA must implement two essential requirements: first, that membership on women’s teams is exclusively for female student-athletes, and second, that there is a screening mechanism to prevent male athletes from participating. She expressed concern that Trump’s “No Men in Women’s Sports” order is not yet firmly established, noting, “It’s not remotely a done deal.” She criticized the NCAA’s policy for lacking accountability, oversight, and clear language that restricts team membership to female athletes only.
Regarding the inclusion of male practice players on women’s teams, the NCAA has stated that they have been a longstanding part of college sports, particularly in women’s basketball, and will continue to be accounted for in their policy.
