INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — At its May 2024 meeting, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Board of Governors approved the continuation of Phase Two of the NCAA Transgender Participation Policy until further notice. As such, applicable sport-specific testosterone thresholds and submission deadlines are now available:
- Fall sport thresholds and deadlines
- Winter sport thresholds and deadlines
- Spring sport thresholds and deadlines
Phase Two, including associated thresholds and deadlines, will apply until further notice.
At its January 2022 meeting, the NCAA Board of Governors updated the transgender student-athlete participation policy to incorporate sport-by-sport eligibility requirements that align with the Olympic movement.
With these national and international sport-specific policy considerations in mind, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports developed corresponding sport-specific NCAA transgender student-athlete eligibility criteria.
Phase Two: Eligibility Documentation and Review Procedure for Transgender Student-Athlete Participation. The policy updates do not change eligibility requirements for a trans man to compete. However, gender affirming medical care for any student-athlete could involve the use of NCAA banned substances (e.g., testosterone). In which case, the school would be required to submit a medical exception request on behalf of the student-athlete. Please see NCAA medical exception procedures for additional details related to these requirements.
For a trans woman student-athlete to be eligible to compete in an NCAA women’s sport, the student-athlete’s school must submit the following:
- NCAA Transgender Student-Athlete Eligibility Review Form; and
- Evidence of Serum Testosterone Level. Laboratory results demonstrating a one-time total serum testosterone level that is within the allowable levels for the sport in which the student-athlete plans to compete. Additionally, submitted laboratory results must be within four weeks (28 days) prior to the applicable competition date (e.g., student-athlete’s first contest of each playing season segment or championship selection date).
How and When to Send Documentation.
Annual submission requirements. The NCAA must receive all required documentation at least one week prior to the student-athlete’s first competition in the applicable playing season segment (traditional and nontraditional) for the applicable sport.
- Multi-sport student-athletes. Where a student-athlete intends to compete in more than one sport, submission of annual eligibility documentation will occur at least twice per academic year. Typically, this will occur (1) Prior to the student-athlete’s initial competition in the fall term; and (2) Prior to the student-athlete’s initial competition in a different sport in the following academic term.
- Example. Cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field student-athlete: Eligibility documentation must be submitted for review in the fall prior to the student-athlete’s first cross country competition. This submission and review establishes eligibility for traditional segment competition in both cross country and indoor track and field. Eligibility documentation would again be submitted at the start of the spring semester or winter quarter prior to the student-athlete’s first competition in outdoor track and field.
NCAA championship submission requirements. For competition in championships, the NCAA must receive all required documentation from the school at least one week prior to the first championship selection date in the applicable sport.
- A multi-sport student-athlete must submit championship eligibility documentation prior to each NCAA championship in which they intend to compete.
To receive a timely eligibility determination, all the above documentation must be completed and faxed by the student-athlete’s school to the NCAA at (317)-917-6989.
Review of Documentation, Eligibility Determinations. Documentation submitted pursuant to these transgender student-athlete eligibility review procedures will be reviewed by, and corresponding eligibility determinations will be made by, the CSMAS Medical Review Panel.
Medical Exceptions Reminder. These procedures do not replace or change the requirements related to the NCAA Medical Exception Documentation Reporting Form which must be separately submitted by the school and approved by the NCAA before any student-athlete using any anabolic agent, hormone and metabolic modulator, or peptide hormone, growth factor, related substances and mimetics is allowed to participate in competition. See NCAA Medical Exception Procedures for additional information and requirements.
Reconsideration. The NCAA will deliver eligibility determinations to the school contact identified in the NCAA Transgender Student-Athlete Eligibility Review Form. If the student-athlete is determined to be ineligible for competition, additional documentation (e.g., updated total serum testosterone lab results) may be submitted for reconsideration provided it occurs in a timeframe consistent with applicable policy requirements.
