Riley Gaines has suffered a major setback in her battle against transgender athletes in women’s sports after a federal judge dismissed her lawsuit against the NCAA.
In a ruling handed down on Monday, United States District Judge Tiffany R Johnson concluded that the NCAA is not subject to Title IX regulations because it does not qualify as a recipient of federal financial assistance.
The decision brings a halt to the lawsuit Gaines and more than a dozen female athletes filed against college sports’ governing body in March 2024.
Gaines and her co-plaintiffs quickly vowed to fight on, confirming they plan to appeal the dismissal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals within the 30-day required window.
‘This momentary setback will not deter me or other women athletes in the least,’ Gaines said in a fiery statement following the ruling.
‘Rest assured, we will be appealing this decision. We are on the side of truth. I am confident Americans will rally to our side to fight the NCAA,’ she continued.
Riley Gaines suffered a major setback in her battle against transgender athletes in women’s sports after a federal judge dismissed her lawsuit against the NCAA on Monday afternoon
Gaines has been at the center of the fight against transgender athletes in women’s sports
‘Working together, we will defeat the NCAA’s continuing efforts to trample women’s rights in sports.’
The legal challenge centered on the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships held at Georgia Tech.
During that meet, trans swimmer Lia Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to capture an NCAA Division I championship, winning the 500-yard freestyle and tying Gaines for fifth in the 200-yard freestyle.
Gaines, who swam collegiately at Kentucky, alleged along with her co-plaintiffs that the NCAA violated female competitors’ Title IX rights by permitting biological males to enter women’s events and share private locker rooms.
Judge Johnson previously dismissed several constitutional and bodily-privacy claims against Georgia Tech and state officials, but had allowed the Title IX claims against the NCAA to temporarily move forward in September 2025.
However, on Monday, Judge Johnson ruled there was no evidence that federal research funding flowed directly to the NCAA rather than separate institutions.
‘Here, there is no evidence that the NCAA ever received, or could have received, federal funds,’ Johnson wrote in her order.
‘Thus, Plaintiffs’ Title IX claims cannot proceed.’
The ruling did not evaluate whether the NCAA’s former transgender-athlete policy constituted sex discrimination.
The challenge centered on the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at Georgia Tech, where trans swimmer Lia Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle
Gaines, above with WNBA star Sophie Cunningham, vowed to appeal the court’s decision
The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), which has funded the legal challenge, condemned the ruling and claimed it strips vital protections away from female competitors.
‘We believe the district judge erred and that the Court of Appeals will find that the NCAA… is subject to Title IX,’ said ICONS co-founder Kim Jones.
‘We will not give up our fight for women and girls’ rights in sports,’ Jones added, confirming the group will stand by Gaines and fellow plaintiffs including Brooke Slusser, Kylee Alons and Kaitlynn Wheeler.
The group also leveraged the ruling to launch an impassioned plea to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, calling on them to kill the NCAA-backed Protect College Sports Act.
‘The NCAA thinks it can use its vast financial resources to avoid responsibility to protect women’s opportunities in college sports. We won’t let the NCAA get away with it,’ stated ICONS co-founder Marshi Smith.
‘The NCAA’s refusal to recognize its responsibility to uphold women’s rights means the NCAA cannot be trusted to regulate anyone’s sports – men’s or women’s.’
