Penn, Ivy League vow support for transgender athletes following NCAA's policy update

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Penn Athletics and the Ivy League vowed support for transgender athletes following the NCAA updating its transgender participation policy.

The updated policy announcement came as Lia Thomas emerged as a top swimmer in Division I. The rule came into the spotlight as Thomas started to break records. She was on the men’s team for her first three years but started on the Quakers’ women’s team this season after transitioning.

Her success this year ignited criticism over allowing transgender women to compete against biological females. Women’s sports advocates and parents at Penn have recently spoken out against the NCAA and its rules on transgender student-athlete participation.

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Penn's Lia Thomas after competing against Yale and Dartmouth on the University of Pennsylvania campus on Jan. 8, 2022, in Philadelphia. (Hunter Martin/Getty Images)

"Penn Athletics is aware of the NCAA’s new transgender participation policy. In support of our student-athlete, Lia Thomas, we will work with the NCAA regarding her participation under the newly adopted standards for the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship," Penn Athletics said in a statement obtained by Fox News.

The Ivy League added: "The Ivy League is aware of yesterday’s NCAA Board of Governors' decision to update its transgender policies beginning with the 2022 NCAA Winter Championships. The league will work with the University of Pennsylvania and its other member institutions to determine the mid-year eligibility impact to any of its transgender student-athletes who might be affected by this decision and will provide an update when appropriate."