New policy for transgender athletes

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA is adopting a new policy regarding transgender athletes.

The NCAA says athletes who have testosterone in their systems from medical treatment will not be allowed to compete against women’s teams in gender-specific sports at NCAA championships. They will be allowed, however, to compete against men.

The exception is if a male is transitioning to being a female. The athlete would then have to provide documentation showing they had testosterone suppression treatment for one calendar year. The athlete would then have to continue to document the medical treatment each successive year to remain eligible for a women’s team in postseason play.

The NCAA says individual schools can continue to make their own decisions about eligibility during regular-season play.