Athletics and Recreational Sports
USC Athletics
In Trojan Athletics, the goal of our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts is to work towards becoming a place where each student athlete, coach and staff member find a safe space where they can thrive and become an integral part of a culture/environment that is inclusive of all aspects of our identities. We aspire to be a place where our culture embodies our mantra: “Here U Belong!”. To learn more about USC Athletics’ work supporting LGBTQ+ student-athletes, please visit the Here U Belong website.
USC Athletics abides by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) policies and rules compliance. As a result, the updated NCAA policy for transgender student-athletes, as of January 19, 2022, states the following:
The new policy, effective immediately, aligns transgender student-athlete participation for college sports with recent policy changes (PDF) from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and International Olympic Committee.
Like the Olympics, the updated NCAA policy calls for transgender participation for each sport to be determined by the policy for the national governing body of that sport, subject to ongoing review and recommendation by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports to the Board of Governors. If there is no NGB policy for a sport, that sport’s international federation policy would be followed. If there is no international federation policy, previously established IOC policy criteria would be followed.
The Board of Governors urged the divisions to provide flexibility to allow for additional eligibility if a transgender student-athlete loses eligibility based on the policy change provided they meet the newly adopted standards.
The policy is effective starting with the 2022 winter championships. Transgender student-athletes will need to document sport-specific testosterone levels beginning four weeks before their sport’s championship selections. Starting with the 2022-23 academic year, transgender student-athletes will need documented levels at the beginning of their season and a second documentation six months after the first. They will also need documented testosterone levels four weeks before championship selections. Full implementation would begin with the 2023-24 academic year.
Please consult the NCAA website for more information or the NCAA Transgender Handbook.
Recreational Sports
The USC Village Fitness Center features a gender-neutral restroom and shower area. To learn more about the fitness amenities located at the USC Village Fitness Center, please visit the Rec Sports website.