NASHVILLE, TN – On Wednesday, January 15, members of the media are invited to attend and cover Independent Women Forum’s demonstration at the 2025 NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Independent Women has led rallies at the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Conventions and driven a national movement calling on policymakers to keep women’s sports female. Independent Women believes its five-year advocacy campaign targeting the NCAA, its President Charlie Baker, and members of the Board of Governors is reaching a tipping point and that change is coming.
WHERE: Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, TN
WHEN: January 15, 2025 at 11:00 am
Independent Women’s protestors are calling for an end to the NCAA’s controversial, anti-woman Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy and new rules that prohibit male athletes from the women’s game. These demands supporters say will finally return fairness and integrity to women’s collegiate sports.
The NCAA’s longstanding Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy allows men who self-identify as women to participate in women’s collegiate sports — taking trophies, roster spots, playing time, resources, and opportunities to compete from women.
In April 2024, following an influx of more than 7,000 current and former NCAA female athletes writing personal letters to the NCAA regarding its discriminatory participation policy, the NCAA released a statement on its website that the policy was “under review” and that the NCAA would “continue to promote Title IX” and “ensure fair competition.” Despite overwhelming national support for keeping women’s sports female, an issue that dominated the 2024 U.S. elections, the NCAA has yet to make any policy changes. The NCAA’s convention begins today and ends on Friday, January 17.
Independent Women spokeswoman Adriana McLamb and Independent Women ambassador Sia Li’ili’i will be joined in Nashville by Our Bodies, Our Sports coalition partners, in addition to current former and NCAA athletes and coaches.
IW Features, the grassroots storytelling and original journalism platform of Independent Women, released a trailer this week for a new documentary featuring Li’ili’i. Li’ili’i is the senior co-captain of the University of Nevada Reno Volleyball team who courageously led her teammates to stand firm in their decision to forfeit their match against San José State University (SUSJ), which rosters a male player on the women’s team.
IW Features’ “Hold The Line” documentary featuring Li’ili’i is the latest in its female athletes series. Other films include the stories of Payton McNabb, Cynthia Monteleone, coach Kim Russell, and LPGA professional golfers.
“Women’s sports belong to women only and men’s sports belong to men only because it gives us a chance to champion the sport without being dominated by the other sex.”
– Sia Li’ili’i, IW Features “Hold The Line” documentary
The Our Bodies, Our Sports coalition sent a letter on January 9 to NCAA President Charlie Baker and members of the NCAA Board of Governors renewing demands that the NCAA take immediate action to protect the integrity of women’s sports through single-sex competition.
The letter reads, in part:
“Women and girls’ interests in fair play and equal opportunity are being pushed aside in favor of the feelings of men. How much longer will you allow this to go on? It is discrimination. Now is the time for the NCAA to stand up and make clear that they do care about female athletes and recognize that, without single-sex competition, there can be no equal athletic opportunity.”
“Every time an athlete born male gets a roster spot on a women’s team there is an athlete born female who is denied an opportunity to compete. The NCAA is discriminating on the basis of sex,” said Independent Women Vice President Victoria Coley. “It does not matter if that athlete born male ultimately doesn’t win anything. There was still an athlete born female who was forced out.”
Adriana McLamb, Independent Women spokeswoman and recruiting coordinator to aspiring collegiate female volleyball players in Orlando, Florida, said: “Independent Women and our coalition partners are here again at the NCAA Convention to continue our advocacy for change. The time is now for NCAA leadership to stand with women and protect female athletes. They need to acknowledge that without single-sex competition, there can be no equal athletic opportunity, and not allow another day to pass where women’s rights are pushed aside.”
“Elite sports are exclusive. Inherently not inclusive,” added Coley. “Charlie Baker and his board have an easy decision to make. Here’s hoping they finally do the right thing.”
The 2025 NCAA Convention follows on the heels of a Federal District Court in Kentucky issuing a decision in Tennessee v. Cardona that strikes down the Biden administration’s unlawful attempt to redefine ‘sex’ in Title IX to include ‘gender identity.’ The Court’s ruling applies nationwide, a win for women and girls across the country, and showcases the national momentum on this issue.
Direct media inquiries and booking requests to [email protected].