Texas AG Sues NCAA Over Transgender Athletes in Women’s Sports

AUSTIN, TX — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, alleging deceptive marketing practices related to the participation of transgender women in women’s college sports.

The lawsuit, filed Sunday, seeks to prevent transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports in Texas.

Paxton claims the NCAA is misleading consumers by marketing competitions as “women’s” events while allowing “biological males” to participate, calling it a “mixed-sex competition.” The lawsuit also accuses the NCAA of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which protects consumers from misleading advertisements.

The attorney general is requesting a permanent injunction to prohibit the NCAA from allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s events involving Texas teams or marketing such events exclusively for women.

This legal challenge comes amid growing debates over the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports. NCAA President Charlie Baker, in a Senate Judiciary hearing, defended the organization’s policies, noting the limited number of transgender athletes in competition. He also pointed to federal rulings that protect their participation under Title IX and the 14th Amendment.

In 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 15, restricting collegiate athletes to teams matching their sex assigned at birth. This law expands a 2021 measure banning transgender students from competing in K-12 sports aligned with their gender identity.