Riley Gaines has suffered a significant legal setback in her campaign against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports after a federal judge dismissed her lawsuit against the NCAA.
In an order issued Monday, United States District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson ruled that the NCAA is not covered by Title IX because it is not considered a recipient of federal financial assistance.
The decision effectively ends the lawsuit filed in March 2024 by Gaines and more than a dozen other female athletes against the governing body for college sports.
Gaines and her fellow plaintiffs, however, said they would continue the fight. They confirmed plans to appeal the dismissal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals within the required 30-day period.
“This momentary setback will not deter me or other women athletes in the least,” Gaines said in a forceful statement after 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 added.
Riley Gaines suffered a significant setback in her campaign against transgender athletes in women’s sports after a federal judge dismissed her lawsuit against the NCAA on Monday afternoon
Gaines has become a prominent figure in the debate over transgender athletes competing in women’s sports
“Working together we will defeat the NCAA’s continuing efforts to trample women’s rights in sports.”
The lawsuit focused on the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, which were held at Georgia Tech.
At the competition, transgender swimmer Lia Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship. She captured the 500-yard freestyle and tied Gaines for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle.
Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer, and the other plaintiffs alleged that the NCAA violated female athletes’ rights under Title IX by allowing transgender women to compete in women’s events and use shared private locker-room facilities.
Judge Johnson had previously dismissed several constitutional and bodily-privacy claims brought against Georgia Tech and state officials. In September 2025, however, she allowed the Title IX claims against the NCAA to proceed temporarily.
On Monday, the judge concluded that there was no evidence federal research funding went directly to the NCAA rather than to 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 address whether the NCAA’s former policy concerning transgender athletes amounted to sex discrimination.
The lawsuit arose from the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at Georgia Tech, where transgender swimmer Lia Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle
Gaines, pictured with WNBA star Sophie Cunningham, said she would appeal the ruling
The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), which has helped fund the lawsuit, denounced the decision and argued that it removes important protections for female athletes.
‘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.’
