The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced on April 8 that athletes will only be allowed to compete in women's sports if they were assigned female at birth, CBS Sports reported.
The NAIA's Council of Presidents approved the policy 20-0 after a December survey indicated widespread support for the policy change. Previously, the association's policy only applied to postseason competition.
The association is a national athletic governing body for 249 mostly small colleges across the country that are not part of the NCAA's three divisions of competition.
According to Pew Research Center, 1.6% of U.S. adults are transgender or nonbinary.
In 2022, the NCAA announced it would allow the national governing bodies in each sport to determine transgender policies. The new policy aligns with that of the International Olympic Committee, according to the NCAA.
Andrew Davis