Several hundred college athletes are again calling for the NCAA to move scheduled championship events from states with proposed legislation targeting transgender athletes, according to a report.
A group of around 550 student-athletes sent a letter to the top governing body in college sports on Wednesday, demanding that any such sanctioned athletic contests be relocated to more inclusive states, Julie Kliegman of Sports Illustrated reported.
The letter, addressed to NCAA President Mark Emmert and the NCAA Board of Governors, comes as upwards of 25 states weigh bills that would make student-athletes compete against the gender identified on their birth certificates.
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One state, Idaho, passed such a measure late last year, while Mississippi and South Dakota have prospective laws awaiting the signatures of their respective governors.
"We, the undersigned NCAA student-athletes, are extremely frustrated and disappointed by the lack of action taken by the NCAA to recognize the dangers of hosting events in states that create a hostile environment for student-athletes," the letter said.
Later in the missive, a hard-hitting passage was rendered in bold typeface:
"You have been silent in the face of hateful legislation in states that are slated to host championships," the students said, "even though those states are close to passing anti-transgender legislation."
The note continued:
"It is imperative that we know we are safe and supported in the NCAA no matter where we travel to compete. The NCAA claims to prioritize the safety, excellence, and physical and emotional well being of its student athletes and asserts that all athletes deserve a fair shot. However, it is impossible for women athletes to feel safe and supported in environments where their personal identity and integrity is questioned
The initiative was spearheaded by a pair of track and field athletes from Washington University in St. Louis, and includes signatures from around 85 schools such as Duke, Ohio State, Michigan, Cornell, Ithaca College, Williams College and Yale, the report said.
The students worked with the LBTGQ advocacy groups GLAAD and Athlete Ally, according to the article.
A similar letter was sent to Emmert and the Board of Governors last year upon the passing of the anti-trans bill in Idaho, the story said.
There is precedent for events to be rescheduled over anti-trans legislation. In 2017, the NCAA "reluctantly" ended a boycott of North Carolina after its controversial anti-trans "bathroom bill," passed the year prior, was repealed.
South Dakota, where the anti-trans bill was passed last year, was scheduled to host an array of Division II events in the coming years, the report said.