It’s
her
turn.

Participation

It’s her turn to move And play. Across the board, females participate in sports at a lower rate than males. All ages. All backgrounds. All levels. WSF exists to get more girls in the game, playing, growing, thriving mentally and physically, through the power of sport.

WSF’s Response to the Protect College Sports Act: Key Actions & Improvements Needed

U.S. Capitol Building in daylight.

Protect College Sports Act of 2026 Overview  

The Protect College Sports Act (PCSA), sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell, was introduced in June 2026 as Congress’s latest attempt to stabilize the rapidly evolving college sports ecosystem. The bill, in its current form, establishes an antitrust exemption for the NCAA, allows schools to pool media rights revenue and increases the amount of money athletes may receive from schools through revenue share and NIL payments. 

WSF appreciates the bipartisan effort behind the PCSA and welcomes provisions like its NIL transparency requirements. However, in the absence of clear Title IX guidance and dedicated incentives to invest in women’s sports, the bill risks exacerbating existing gender inequities and reducing broad-based sports opportunities. 

WSF has taken a number of actions urging Congress to strengthen the PCSA to: 

  • Protect participation opportunities in women’s and men’s Olympic sports 
  • Clarify Title IX’s application to NIL and revenue share payments made by schools 
  • Promote and invest in women’s sports

WSF Actions 

  • September 15 – WSF sent a letter to all U.S. Senators expressing concerns about gender equity, participation opportunities and Title IX guidance. 
  • August 20 – The Associated Press quoted WSF CEO Danette Leighton on advocates’ concerns about equitably funding women’s college sports. 
  • June 17 – WSF sent a letter to PCSA sponsors Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell, urging them to strengthen the bill to protect women’s and Olympic sports opportunities.  

WSF will continue to monitor and push for this and other legislation to prioritize gender equity, Title IX compliance, broad-based sports offerings and data transparency. 

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Physical Activity and Athletic Competition for Individuals with Disabilities

Schools must provide individuals with disabilities, male and female, with equal opportunities to participate and equal treatment in physical education, school recess, club, varsity and intramural sports programs. Schools have the obligation and must be flexible as they develop programs that consider the interests of students with disabilities.

Physical Activity and Athletic Competition for Individuals with Disabilities (pdf)
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Single-Sex Physical Education Classes: The Foundation Position

Girls reap positive benefits from physical activity at a young age in terms of psychological and physical well-being and academic and career success later in life. For many young girls, physical education class is their first and only exposure to physical activity. School physical education is the most cost-effective mechanism for delivering quality movement programs to the greatest number of children.

Mandatory single-sex physical education is never appropriate. Schools should offer co-educational physical education.

Single-Sex Physical Education Classes: The Foundation Position (pdf)
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Race and Sport: The Foundation Position

Sports participation is critical for a female of color just as it is for all females. Sport and physical activity are effective interventions to addressing the obesity crisis, and research shows that sports and physical activity participation has an incredibly positive impact on the lives of girls, especially girls of color, who are in greater need of both opportunities and encouragement. Athletic opportunities for female athletes of color have grown at double the rate of those for white female athletes since the passage of Title IX.

Title IX has increased sports participation and scholarship opportunities for all female athletes, including significant numbers of women of color. However, there is still work to be done for women of color to gain equal representation and opportunities in athletics. The following position paper discusses the relationship between Title IX and discrimination on the basis of race/ ethnicity and addresses those steps that must be taken to further advance opportunities for women of color in sport

Race and Sport: The Foundation Position (pdf)
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Appropriate Athletic Uniform Guidelines

Athletes should be afforded maximum flexibility in the choice of uniform fabrics and styles. Selection of appropriate sport competition and practice apparel is influenced by many factors including:

  • Performance considerations
  • Medical and safety concerns
  • Differences in body type and the impact on body presentation on psychological readiness
  • Cultural differences
Appropriate Athletic Uniform Guidelines (pdf)
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WSF Resources

External Resources