News Summary
In a significant policy change, the University of Pennsylvania has formalized an agreement prohibiting transgender women from competing in women’s sports. This decision, influenced by a federal Title IX investigation, mandates the adjustment of swimming records and ensures compliance with biology-based definitions of gender. The settlement restores records for female athletes and releases federal funding previously frozen due to compliance issues. This change has sparked discussions on fairness in athletics and reflects broader national policies on transgender athletes.
Philadelphia Adjusts Athletic Policy and Records Following Federal Agreement on Transgender Athletes
Philadelphia, PA – The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) implemented significant changes to its athletic policies and swimming records in July 2025, formalizing an agreement with the then-Trump administration to prohibit transgender women from competing in women’s sports. This landmark decision came as a resolution to a federal Title IX investigation into the university’s intercollegiate athletics participation policies. The agreement also mandated the adjustment of swimming records, including those previously held by transgender athlete Lia Thomas.
The settlement concluded an inquiry by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which had alleged that UPenn violated Title IX by permitting transgender women to compete in women’s intercollegiate athletics and access women-only intimate facilities. As part of the resolution, UPenn agreed to adopt biology-based definitions for “male” and “female” for athletic purposes, consistent with executive orders issued by President Donald Trump.
Key Outcomes of the Agreement
Under the terms of the agreement, UPenn committed to several actions. The university will now explicitly state its compliance with Title IX, ensuring that males will not be allowed to compete in female athletic programs or use female-only athletic facilities. Furthermore, UPenn agreed to restore individual Division I swimming records, titles, and similar recognitions to female athletes that were attributed to male athletes competing in women’s categories. The university will also issue a public apology to female swimmers who were reportedly disadvantaged during the 2021-22 season. This resolution also led to the release of approximately $175 million in federal funding that had been frozen for the university.
Impact on Lia Thomas’s Records
The most prominent figure affected by these changes is Lia Thomas, who gained national attention as the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship in women’s swimming. Thomas secured the 500-yard freestyle title in 2022. Following the agreement, UPenn updated its women’s swimming records. While a note on the university’s athletic website acknowledges that Thomas set program records in the 100, 200, and 500 freestyle during the 2021-22 season under the eligibility rules then in effect, other athletes are now listed as holding the top times in those events under the revised guidelines.
Thomas’s participation had already sparked a nationwide debate on the fairness of transgender women competing in women’s sports. Prior to these institutional changes, Thomas had been barred from international swimming competitions, including the 2024 Olympics, due to updated rules by World Aquatics, the sport’s global governing body.
Broader Context of Federal Policy
This agreement between UPenn and the federal government was part of a larger initiative by the Trump administration to establish nationwide policies restricting transgender athletes in women’s sports. In February 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” This executive order led the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to revise its transgender athlete participation policy, moving away from a sport-by-sport approach to a more uniform stance generally permitting only athletes assigned female at birth to compete in women’s sports.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights had initiated investigations into multiple institutions and athletic associations, stating a commitment to uphold Title IX’s protections for biological females in athletics. This federal action at UPenn is seen by some observers as a potential model for similar resolutions at other universities facing comparable investigations.
The Road to Resolution
Lia Thomas began her collegiate swimming career on UPenn’s men’s team in 2017. After starting hormone replacement therapy in 2019, she transitioned and joined the women’s team for the 2021-22 season, competing under the NCAA’s eligibility rules at the time. Her success in women’s competitions quickly drew significant public and political scrutiny.
The controversy surrounding Thomas’s participation intensified, leading to advocacy from various groups and individuals. Prominent among these is former collegiate swimmer and activist Riley Gaines, who has publicly spoken about the need to protect women’s sports by ensuring competition among biological females. Separately, the U.S. Supreme Court announced in July 2025 that it would hear two cases challenging state-level bans on transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, indicating the ongoing national legal and societal debate on this issue.
UPenn’s President J. Larry Jameson stated that while the university’s policies during the 2021-2022 swim season aligned with NCAA eligibility rules then in effect, the institution acknowledged that some student-athletes experienced a disadvantage. The university emphasized its continued commitment to complying with Title IX and current NCAA policy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What was the primary agreement between UPenn and the Trump administration?
- The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) finalized an agreement in July 2025 with the then-Trump administration to implement a policy banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports and retroactively adjust swimming records, including those set by Lia Thomas.
- Why did this agreement come about?
- This agreement resulted from a federal Title IX investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) into UPenn’s intercollegiate athletics participation policies. The OCR found UPenn in violation of Title IX.
- What happened to Lia Thomas’s swimming records?
- Lia Thomas’s program records in the 100, 200, and 500 freestyle from the 2021-22 season were updated to reflect new eligibility guidelines. While her achievements under previous rules are noted, other athletes are now listed as holding the top times.
- Did UPenn receive any federal funding as part of the agreement?
- Yes, approximately $175 million in previously frozen federal funding was released to UPenn as part of the resolution.
- What was the Trump administration’s broader policy on transgender athletes?
- The agreement was part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to restrict transgender athlete participation in women’s sports nationwide. An executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” was signed in February 2025.
- How did the NCAA policy change regarding transgender athletes?
- Following the Trump administration’s executive order in February 2025, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) revised its transgender athlete participation policy, moving to a more uniform stance generally permitting only athletes assigned female at birth to compete in women’s sports.
Key Features of the UPenn-Trump Administration Agreement on Transgender Athletes
| Feature | Description | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Change | Banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports. | University-level, influenced by Nationwide policy |
| Record Adjustments | Retroactive adjustment of swimming records, including Lia Thomas’s, to reflect new eligibility guidelines. | University-level |
| Title IX Investigation | Resolution of a U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigation finding UPenn in violation of Title IX. | Nationwide (Title IX), University-level (investigation target) |
| Federal Funding | Release of approximately $175 million in previously frozen federal funding to UPenn. | University-level, Federal (Nationwide) |
| Biology-Based Definitions | UPenn agreed to adopt biology-based definitions for “male” and “female” for athletic purposes. | University-level, consistent with Nationwide policy |
| Public Apology | UPenn committed to issuing a public apology to female athletes who experienced a competitive disadvantage. | University-level |
| Executive Order Influence | Agreement aligns with the Trump administration’s executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” (Nationwide). | Nationwide (Executive Order), University-level (compliance) |
| NCAA Policy Revision | NCAA revised its policy to generally allow only athletes assigned female at birth to participate in women’s sports (Nationwide). | Nationwide |
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