California CIF Changes Track Rules After Trump Threatens Funding Cut

In response to President Donald Trump's threat to withhold federal funding over the participation of a transgender female athlete, AB Hernandez, in California's high school track and field championships, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) implemented a pilot program allowing biological female athletes who would have qualified had Hernandez not competed to also participate in the 2025 state championships. This rule change effectively creates a separate scoring category for transgender girls, potentially resulting in separate winners for cisgender girls, cisgender boys, and transgender girls. Governor Gavin Newsom praised the CIF's approach as a thoughtful and respectful way to balance fairness and inclusion. The CIF emphasized its commitment to providing participation opportunities for all student-athletes while complying with California law. The decision came shortly after Trump's public denunciation of Hernandez's participation as unfair and demeaning to women and girls, and his warning to enforce his executive order banning transgender athletes from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity for recipients of federal funds. CIF stated that the pilot program was decided before Trump's statement but aligned with their mission to uphold competitive fairness and inclusion.