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Federal judge dismisses Riley Gaines' Title IX lawsuit against NCAA

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by former college swimmer Riley Gaines against the NCAA over its transgender athlete policies, ruling the NCAA is not subject to Title IX; Gaines has said she plans to appeal.

By The Lumen desk · Sept 30, 2026 · 1 min read
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What we know
1 A federal judge dismissed Riley Gaines' lawsuit against the NCAA over its transgender athlete policies.
2 The judge ruled the NCAA is not subject to Title IX, according to Fox News.
3 The judge was appointed by President Joe Biden, according to Breitbart and Fox News.
4 Gaines has said she plans to appeal the dismissal, according to Fox News and The Daily Wire.
5 Gaines and the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS) announced the appeal plan in a joint press release, according to The Daily Wire.

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by former college athlete Riley Gaines against the NCAA challenging its policies on transgender athletes, according to multiple outlets.

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Fox News reported the judge ruled that the NCAA is not subject to Title IX, the basis on which the lawsuit had been dismissed.

Several outlets noted that the judge who dismissed the case was appointed by President Joe Biden, including Breitbart and Fox News.

Gaines and the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS) said in a joint press release that they plan to appeal the ruling, according to The Daily Wire and Fox News.

How each side covered it

Left

1 outlet
  • Politico reported that a judge dismissed the lawsuit against the NCAA over its transgender athlete policy.

“Judge tosses lawsuit against NCAA over transgender athlete policy” — Politico

Right

6 outlets
  • Multiple right-leaning outlets noted the judge was appointed by President Joe Biden.
  • Fox News reported the judge ruled the NCAA is not subject to Title IX.
  • The Daily Wire and Fox News reported Gaines plans to appeal the dismissal.
  • The Daily Wire noted Gaines and the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS) announced the appeal plan in a joint press release.

“Riley Gaines vows to appeal after a federal judge ruled the NCAA is not subject to Title IX, dismissing her landmark transgender athlete lawsuit.” — Fox News

Questions readers ask

What happened in the Riley Gaines lawsuit against the NCAA?

A federal judge dismissed Riley Gaines' lawsuit against the NCAA, which challenged the organization's policies on transgender athletes, ruling that the NCAA is not subject to Title IX, according to Fox News.

Who is Riley Gaines?

Riley Gaines is a former college athlete who brought a Title IX lawsuit against the NCAA over its transgender athlete policies, according to Just the News and other outlets.

Will Riley Gaines appeal the ruling?

Yes. Gaines and the Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS) said in a joint press release that they plan to appeal the dismissal, according to The Daily Wire and Fox News.

Who appointed the judge who dismissed the case?

The judge who dismissed the lawsuit was appointed by President Joe Biden, according to Breitbart and Fox News.

What did left- and right-leaning outlets focus on?

Politico, the only left-leaning outlet in this set, reported the dismissal itself. Right-leaning outlets emphasized that the judge was a Biden appointee and highlighted Gaines' plan to appeal.

Sources · 8 outlet reports

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