Hinds Today

On August 6, 2024, U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) urged NCAA President Charlie Baker to revise the association’s student-athlete participation policy to mandate that only biological women can compete in NCAA women's sports.

The Mississippi senators are among 23 lawmakers who signed a letter led by U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), advocating for changes to protect women’s sports within the NCAA framework.

"Several organizations—including the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport—in addition to more than 20 states, have acted recently to protect women’s sports. We urge the NCAA to follow suit and take similar action to promote fair play," stated the senators in their letter.

They further emphasized, "Women deserve that even playing field and chance to compete, one that can only be achieved by ensuring that only females compete in women’s sports. We urge you to follow the lead of the NAIA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport and adopt policies that protect women’s sports."

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Concerned Women for America, Heritage Action, and Independent Council on Women’s Sports have endorsed this letter.

In June, Hyde-Smith introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution (S.J.Res.96) aiming to overturn what she described as the Biden administration's radical rewrite of Title IX. Wicker is among its 34 cosponsors.

Additionally, both Hyde-Smith and Wicker have cosponsored the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act (S.613), which seeks to preserve Title IX protections for female athletes and ensure fair competition in women's sports nationwide.