Gov. Noem Urges Newsmax: Advocating for Gender Equity in NCAA

Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem told Newsmax on Tuesday that pressing the NCAA on its transgender student athlete policy is paramount to “have fairness” in collegiate women’s sports.

Noem and eight other Republican governors sent a letter to the NCAA’s competitive safeguards committee on Monday, “asking them to change their policy” and actually implement safeguards for women. As it stands, the NCAA and the panel abdicates responsibility, allowing each sport’s governing body to determine that sport’s trans student-athlete participation policy.

“Most of us governors have passed bills in our states to protect women’s sports,” Noem told “Eric Bolling The Balance.” “South Dakota has passed the strongest one in the nation and it’s been used as a model in many other states.

“But the simple fact remains that if the NCAA changed their policy, so many more women would get to compete, to have fairness in sports and get the chance to be successful. The NCAA can fix this when it comes to our university system just by changing their policy and I’ve asked them to do so,” she added.

In the letter, Noem and the other governors wrote “this policy allows the NCAA to avoid responsibility for ensuring the fairness of collegiate sports – therefore it must be changed.”

Noem said they have not heard back, despite NCAA President Charlie Baker being the former Republican governor of Massachusetts. Noem said she spoke with Baker.

“My understanding is it’s not under his authority but he can be an advocate to this committee, asking them to protect women’s sports as well,” Noem said. “I’m hopeful we’ll get a positive response.

“We talked in the letter about Riley Gaines’ experience, we talked about the fact her years and years of work was eliminated for a photo op, for an opportunity to have a political statement and how discouraging that was, not just to her but so many young women across this country.”

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