Judge Dismissed Title IX Lawsuit Against NCAA
A federal court ruled the NCAA is not a recipient of federal funding required for Title IX liability.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Swimming
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U.S. District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson granted summary judgment to the NCAA, effectively ending a lawsuit filed by Riley Gaines and other female athletes. The court determined the organization is not a recipient of federal financial assistance.
Why it matters
The ruling hinges on the legal definition of federal financial assistance, which is a prerequisite for Title IX liability. Because the court found no evidence of such funding, the challenge regarding athletic participation policies was dismissed.
The lawsuit was initially filed in March 2024 by Riley Gaines and other athletes following controversies surrounding the 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships.
The players
Riley Gaines
She is a former collegiate swimmer who has become a prominent advocate for female-only sports categories.
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in the United States.
Tiffany R. Johnson
She is a U.S. District Judge who presided over the Title IX lawsuit regarding NCAA policy.
Donald Trump
He is the current President of the United States who signed an executive order on women's sports.
The details
Judge Johnson determined that the NCAA and Department of Defense maintained separate funding streams for research, refuting claims that the organization relied on federal support. The plaintiffs originally challenged policies they argued allowed biological males to compete in women's events, while the NCAA maintains its current rules now limit women's team competition to athletes assigned female at birth.
Timeline
The initial lawsuit was filed by female athletes in March 2024.
The swimming and diving championships in question occurred in 2022.
President Trump signed an executive order regarding women's sports on February 5, 2025.
The NCAA updated its athlete participation policy on February 6, 2025.
Judge Tiffany R. Johnson granted summary judgment to the NCAA on September 28, 2026.
Season Trajectory
This decision marks a significant legal victory for the NCAA, potentially shielding the organization from similar litigation regarding its internal policy-making authority. It clarifies the scope of federal oversight on private athletic governing bodies and their adherence to federal civil rights statutes.
The dismissal reinforces the current NCAA participation rules, which restrict women's team competition to athletes assigned female at birth. Athletes and stakeholders in collegiate sports now face a landscape where federal court intervention is limited by the classification of the NCAA's funding.
The takeaway
This ruling confirms that federal funding status remains a critical, and often debated, threshold for applying civil rights laws to non-profit athletic associations. It highlights the importance of precise legal standing when athletes challenge institutional policy in federal court.
What happens next
The plaintiffs have announced their intention to appeal the court's decision to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Further reading
For more on the regulatory environment governing collegiate athletics, visit our Swimming section.
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