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Judge Dismisses Riley Gaines’ Title IX NCAA Lawsuit

By Drooid · Sep 30, 2026, 6:46 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Judge Johnson Dismisses

U.S. District Judge Tiffany Johnson dismissed Riley Gaines’ Title IX lawsuit against the NCAA.
She issued the dismissal on September 28, 2026, finding no federal funding evidence.
Title IX applies only to entities receiving direct federal assistance, which the NCAA does not.
Gaines and the Independent Council on Women’s Sports must file a 30-day appeal to the 11th Circuit.
The NCAA ended its trans-athlete policy the day after President Donald Trump’s Feb. 5, 2025 executive order.

Summary

Judge Ottinger Grants Stay

Aberdeen received an injunction and will start for the Gators, replacing Xaivian Lee.
Coach Todd Golden kept Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu on the roster.
Aberdeen averaged 13.5 points, 3.4 assists and 2.5 rebounds while starting 35 Kentucky games.
Judge Douglas Ottinger granted Keels a temporary stay, allowing him to continue baseball at Longwood.
Keels’ lawsuit says the NCAA rule denial blocks his NIL earnings and scout exposure.

History

Historical Context

When Title IX of the Education Amendments was enacted in 1972, Congress mandated gender-equity in any program receiving federal education funds. The 1972 law redirected $2.5 billion annually to schools, prompting the NCAA to expand women’s championships from three sports to 12 by 1982. Today, Tiffany Johnson’s Sept 28, 2026 dismissal of Riley Gaines’s IX suit against NCAA reflects test that blocked league trans-athlete policy after Donald Trump’s 2025 order. The precedent suggests future courts will likely reject NIL-related challenges like Alex Condon’s case, reinforcing the NCAA’s authority until Congress revises Title IX definitions.

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Judge Johnson Dismisses

U.S. District Judge Tiffany Johnson dismissed Riley Gaines’ Title IX lawsuit against the NCAA.
She issued the dismissal on September 28, 2026, finding no federal funding evidence.
Title IX applies only to entities receiving direct federal assistance, which the NCAA does not.
Gaines and the Independent Council on Women’s Sports must file a 30-day appeal to the 11th Circuit.
The NCAA ended its trans-athlete policy the day after President Donald Trump’s Feb. 5, 2025 executive order.

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