Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which resulted in abortion bans in 20 states and threatened abortion access in many more, abortion has vanished for many athletes, including many elite athletes in top programs, according to data compiled by The Washington Post.
For some coaches and athletic directors in states where access to abortion is threatened, the situation feels urgent. They admitted in interviews that the Roe decision has left them with little knowledge about how to counsel the young people whose lives and health decisions they are expected to play significant roles. Some are concerned about signing female athletes in states where restrictions on reproductive rights have been put in place.
“No one’s talking about this yet, but it has the potential to be a real issue,” said Jacquie Joseph, assistant athletic director and former softball coach at Michigan State, where a 1931 ban on abortion is currently blocked by the state’s court. “We’re going to get there come this fall.”
However, the NCAA and the majority of the college sports community have been silent since Roe’s silence. Three female Division I coaches in states with abortion restrictions told The Post that they were hesitant to speak out in favor of abortion rights because they fear retribution from their male colleagues, politicians, or the general public.
Jim Harbaugh, the head football coach at the University of Michigan, is the only well-known college coach to have voiced his opinion on the subject. Harbaugh told ESPN that he believed abortion to be a topic “that’s so big that it needs to be talked about” after being quoted as having spoken at an anti-abortion charity event this month. A serious discussion is required.
“In the past, we’ve looked at pregnancy as health care — we’ve had women get pregnant, and we’ve had players have babies, and we’ve helped players make a different choice from a medical standpoint,” he said. “Now what are we going to do?”
On many college campuses, not just in sports, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision has caused uncertainty and unease. However, as the NCAA makes clear, coaches and other athletic department representatives are involved in college athletes’ lives and medical care in a way that gives the issue more weight—and more risk. In order to provide records to coaches, trainers, and athletic departments, college athletes are asked to waive some of their privacy rights for certain types of medical information.
Many of the most well-known and widely viewed women’s college sports competitions in the nation take place in states with some of the strictest abortion regulations. The gymnastics final, which attracted over 1 million viewers, has been held in Fort Worth since 2019. The Women’s College World Series, which peaked at 2.1 million viewers in this year’s final, is hosted annually in Oklahoma City. The following four Women’s Final Fours will take place in states where restrictions are in effect or are anticipated.
The Post’s data show that a disproportionate number of elite women’s college sports programs are located in states where abortion is either currently illegal, is anticipated to become illegal, or where the future of abortion rights is uncertain. For some top female athletes in the most well-known sports, this dynamic may limit their college options.
For some coaches and athletic directors in states where access to abortion is threatened, the situation feels urgent. They admitted in interviews that the Roe decision has left them with little knowledge about how to counsel the young people whose lives and health decisions they are expected to play significant roles. Some are concerned about signing female athletes in states where restrictions on reproductive rights have been put in place.
“No one’s talking about this yet, but it has the potential to be a real issue,” said Jacquie Joseph, assistant athletic director and former softball coach at Michigan State, where a 1931 ban on abortion is currently blocked by the state’s court. “We’re going to get there come this fall.”
However, the NCAA and the majority of the college sports community have been silent since Roe’s silence. Three female Division I coaches in states with abortion restrictions told The Post that they were hesitant to speak out in favor of abortion rights because they fear retribution from their male colleagues, politicians, or the general public.
Jim Harbaugh, the head football coach at the University of Michigan, is the only well-known college coach to have voiced his opinion on the subject. Harbaugh told ESPN that he believed abortion to be a topic “that’s so big that it needs to be talked about” after being quoted as having spoken at an anti-abortion charity event this month. A serious discussion is required.
“In the past, we’ve looked at pregnancy as health care — we’ve had women get pregnant, and we’ve had players have babies, and we’ve helped players make a different choice from a medical standpoint,” he said. “Now what are we going to do?”
On many college campuses, not just in sports, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision has caused uncertainty and unease. However, as the NCAA makes clear, coaches and other athletic department representatives are involved in college athletes’ lives and medical care in a way that gives the issue more weight—and more risk. In order to provide records to coaches, trainers, and athletic departments, college athletes are asked to waive some of their privacy rights for certain types of medical information.
Many of the most well-known and widely viewed women’s college sports competitions in the nation take place in states with some of the strictest abortion regulations. The gymnastics final, which attracted over 1 million viewers, has been held in Fort Worth since 2019. The Women’s College World Series, which peaked at 2.1 million viewers in this year’s final, is hosted annually in Oklahoma City. The following four Women’s Final Fours will take place in states where restrictions are in effect or are anticipated.
The Post’s data show that a disproportionate number of elite women’s college sports programs are located in states where abortion is either currently illegal, is anticipated to become illegal, or where the future of abortion rights is uncertain. For some top female athletes in the most well-known sports, this dynamic may limit their college options.
