U.S. Department of Education Revises Title IX Rules on Gender and Sports

The U.S. Department of Education is officially revoking the Biden administration’s 2024 Title IX rule, as announced by Education Secretary Linda McMahon in an interview. The decision aims to affirm the stance that girls’ and women’s sports should be reserved for females.

McMahon stated, “We’re just acknowledging that boys and men are in boys and men’s sports and girls are in theirs.” The action reinstates the 2020 regulatory text in the Code of Federal Regulations. Courts had nullified the Biden rule prior to this decision. The department had already been enforcing Trump-era regulations since January 2025.

According to McMahon, this clarification benefits students, teachers, schools, and parents, as they now have a clear understanding of the regulations. Schools are expected to follow the Trump-era rules without any additional obligations or deadlines being imposed.

Title IX, originally set up to ensure equal sports opportunities, was expanded under Biden’s rule to include gender identity protections. The proposal addressing athletic team eligibility was withdrawn in December 2024. The Trump administration continued its interpretation of Title IX by initiating investigations and implementing funding restrictions.

On April 4, 2025, the Education and Justice Departments introduced the Title IX Special Investigations Team. The federal government also filed a lawsuit against Maine for allowing trans-identifying males to participate in girls’ sports.

“So there are many kinds of consequences that can come to states and schools that are not abiding by Title IX,” McMahon stated.

McMahon addressed the consequences for states like Maine, California, and Minnesota by explaining reimbursement requirements for those marked as high-risk funding recipients. These states must provide receipts to confirm proper allocation of funds.

Regarding recourse for female athletes who lost records or titles, McMahon referenced the University of Pennsylvania’s agreement. The agreement required the restoration of titles and apologies following Lia Thomas’ participation on the women’s swimming team.

McMahon mentioned that each case would be evaluated individually and advised parents to address issues with school officials and report to federal authorities when necessary.

The Supreme Court upheld laws in Idaho and West Virginia on June 30, 2026, restricting girls’ and women’s sports to females. When asked about enforcing sex-based eligibility nationwide, McMahon pointed to Title IX as the legal foundation to uphold such requirements.