Trump executive order cited in lawsuit after Stephen F. Austin cuts women’s sports
The lawsuit challenges the university’s decision to eliminate women’s bowling, women’s beach volleyball, and men’s golf for the 2025–2026 academic year, alleging the move disproportionately impacts female athletes.
On July 27, the athletes filed a notice of supplemental authority citing President Donald Trump’s July 24 executive order titled, 'Saving College Sports.'
Six female athletes are suing Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, claiming the school violated Title IX by cutting multiple women’s sports programs—a move they argue defies a recent executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at protecting collegiate athletic opportunities for women.
The June 30 lawsuit challenges the university’s decision to eliminate women’s bowling, women’s beach volleyball, and men’s golf for the 2025–2026 academic year, alleging the move disproportionately impacts female athletes.
On July 27, the athletes filed a notice of supplemental authority citing President Donald Trump’s July 24 executive order titled, “Saving College Sports.” The order states that “opportunities for scholarships and collegiate athletic competition in women’s and non-revenue sports must be preserved and, where possible, expanded.”
It also emphasizes that “any revenue-sharing permitted between universities and collegiate athletes should be designed and implemented in a manner that preserves or expands scholarships and collegiate athletic opportunities in women’s and non-revenue sports.”
Sophie Myers, one of the beach volleyball players named in the complaint against Stephen F. Austin, said the cuts caused her to lose “a part of her identity, her support system, and her ability to pursue her dream of competitive beach volleyball” in “a moment’s notice.”
[RELATED: More than a dozen states still not complying with new Title IX interpretation]
The plaintiffs are seeking an emergency injunction to prevent the cuts while the case moves forward, supporting it with the argument that “plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits because SFA is violating Title IX.”
Nancy Hogshead, founder and CEO of women’s advocacy group Champion Women, backed the lawsuit in comments made to Campus Reform, saying “in education, schools can’t discriminate based on sex and blame it on an outside source of funds” and that Trump’s executive order simply “made it clear what was already black-letter-law: that non-discrimination laws still apply.”
Hogshead also pointed to a 2024 study by Champion Women, claiming Stephen F. Austin owed women “184.7% more in scholarship dollars” than it provided that year. She also referenced a 2015 legal memo from her group urging the school to comply with Title IX, stating that the university never responded.
“Measuring sex discrimination in athletics is not hard,” Hogshead added. “SFA is discriminating against women. It is shameful. A middle-schooler would make the same conclusion.”
Campus Reform reached out to Stephen F. Austin State University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
