The U.S. Department of Education has officially pulled back the Biden administration’s 2024 Title IX rule. Education Secretary Linda McMahon made this announcement in an interview with OutKick. McMahon mentioned that the move strengthens the administration’s view that girls’ and women’s sports should be reserved for female athletes.
“We are acknowledging that boys and men participate in boys’ and men’s sports, while girls participate in theirs,” McMahon told OutKick. The updated decision restores the 2020 regulation in the Code of Federal Regulations. Courts had previously struck down the Biden rule, and in January 2025, the department began implementing the Trump administration’s regulations.
When asked about the impact of this step, McMahon stated, This provides clarity to students, teachers, schools, and parents. Everyone now has a clear understanding of the regulation and its enforcement.
When probed about new obligations for schools, McMahon advised returning to the rules from the Trump era. There was no specified compliance deadline.
Restoring the 2020 Title IX rule aims to reinstate equal sports opportunities for all, which McMahon believes were compromised under Biden’s regulations. The 2024 rule had expanded protections under Title IX to include gender identity. A related proposal about team eligibility was withdrawn in December 2024.
President Donald Trump, alongside female athletes, signed the No Men in Women’s Sports
executive order on February 5, 2025. Since then, the Trump administration has been pushing its Title IX interpretation through various methods, including investigations and funding restrictions.
In April 2025, the departments of Education and Justice announced the Title IX Special Investigations Team. The federal government also sued Maine over policies allowing trans-identifying males in girls’ sports.
Regarding repercussions for states like Maine, California, and Minnesota, McMahon explained the department’s reimbursement requirements for at-risk funding recipients. This means they don’t receive funding up front but must validate their appropriate use of funds,
she stated.
McMahon also addressed remedies for female athletes who lost titles or opportunities. She referenced the University of Pennsylvania agreement, which obliged the institution to reinstate records and titles to female athletes impacted by Lia Thomas’ participation.
Asked if this agreement could be a model for other cases, McMahon emphasized that cases will be evaluated individually. She advised parents concerned with their daughters competing against male athletes to speak with school officials and federal authorities.
On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld laws in Idaho and West Virginia mandating that girls’ and women’s sports remain female-only. When questioned about nationwide law enforcement, McMahon pointed to the legal foundation of Title IX as the basis.