In a dramatic pivot just days before the 105th CIF State Track and Field Championships, California’s high school sports authority has introduced a new pilot policy aimed at addressing one of the most explosive issues in athletics today: the participation of transgender athletes in girls’ sports.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which oversees high school sports in the state, unveiled the change Tuesday. Under the new guidelines, biological female athletes who would have otherwise qualified for the championship meet—had they not been edged out by a transgender competitor—will now be allowed to compete. The policy takes immediate effect for the May 30–31 event in Clovis, California.
At the conclusion of the CIF Section’s Track and Field qualifying meets this past weekend, the CIF made the decision to pilot an entry process for the upcoming 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships. Please see the following statement: pic.twitter.com/qOjWl6eybR
— CIF State (@CIFState) May 27, 2025
The timing of the announcement was not coincidental. Just hours earlier, President Donald Trump issued a warning via Truth Social, condemning the continued allowance of transgender athletes in female categories and threatening to cut federal funding to the state unless it took immediate corrective action.
“THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,” Trump declared, saying he would instruct local authorities to prevent “the transitioned person” from competing in the state championships.
He also noted plans to speak with California Governor Gavin Newsom about the matter directly—a conversation that may have influenced, or at least coincided with, CIF’s abrupt policy shift.
The CIF’s policy applies only to this year’s championship meet, but its implications are far-reaching. In essence, if a biological female athlete was edged out of automatic qualification by a transgender athlete but failed to meet the at-large standard, she will now be allowed to participate.
Gov. Newsom’s spox Izzy Gardon:
“CIF’s proposed pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness. The Governor is encouraged by this thoughtful approach.” https://t.co/OXgu5Git4s
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) May 27, 2025
In practice, this could mean larger competition fields—and in at least some events—parallel recognition tracks. According to KCRA, events such as the long jump may now feature three first-place winners: one for a biological male, one for a transgender athlete, and one for a biological female.
This new arrangement is seen by supporters as a compromise between inclusion and fairness.
Governor Gavin Newsom, whose state has championed progressive social policy, did not directly contradict the CIF’s change. In fact, he appeared to endorse it cautiously. His office stated that the policy offers a “reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness.”
Notably, Newsom himself has admitted in a previous conversation with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk that the inclusion of transgender girls in girls’ sports “was deeply unfair”—a rare moment of bipartisan convergence on a highly polarizing topic.
Statement from President Donald J. Trump
cc: @GavinNewsom pic.twitter.com/LRswi2RIkB
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) May 27, 2025
The CIF’s decision represents more than a procedural adjustment—it is a response to a national reckoning. Advocates for women’s sports have long argued that the inclusion of biologically male athletes in female events poses a direct threat to fair competition. Meanwhile, supporters of transgender inclusion insist that excluding trans athletes from competition is discriminatory and dehumanizing.
By creating a pilot policy that seeks to carve out space for fairness and inclusion, CIF is attempting to thread the needle on an issue that has defied consensus in every arena it’s touched—sports, law, politics, and culture.
