The Trump Administration announced on Mar. 18 a series of changes affecting higher education, including new policies regarding participation in women’s sports at the collegiate level.
The announcement highlights recent actions taken by colleges and universities following updates to national athletic guidelines. The administration said these changes are intended to shift campus culture and restore what it describes as traditional academic standards.
According to the statement, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) updated its transgender athletic participation policy in February 2025, limiting competition in women’s sports to student-athletes who are biologically female. Following this update, Harvard University removed its prior transgender inclusion policy from its university handbook. Trinity University also publicly updated its policy for intercollegiate athletics in March 2025, restricting competition in women’s sports to student-athletes assigned female at birth.
The statement further reports that the University of Pennsylvania and Wagner College entered into Resolution Agreements to comply with Title IX regulations. Both institutions issued apologies and returned victories previously awarded to athletes not meeting the new criteria for women’s competitions.
The Trump Administration said these measures are part of broader efforts to change campus culture, reduce emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and address concerns about academic standards and post-graduation outcomes.
