Riley Gaines, a decorated former NCAA swimmer for the University of Kentucky, praised the Trump administration on Wednesday after it was announced that $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania had been paused over the university’s inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports.
“The Trump administration has yet again taken swift action to uphold common sense and preserve women’s opportunities by pausing $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania,” Gaines, the host of OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” podcast, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
“UPenn allowed a male to compete in women’s swimming, stripping female athletes like myself and my teammates of their hard-earned podium spots, trophies, and records all while forcing them to share a locker room with this fully intact man who exposed himself to us.”
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She continued, “This proactive step sends a clear message: institutions that disregard the integrity of women’s sports and the rights of female athletes will face consequences. More of this.”
A senior administration official told FOX Business exclusively on Wednesday that the administration has paused $175 million in federal funding. This did not account for UPenn’s total federal funding, which the university previously reported last year was around $1 billion.
The pause is not a direct result of the investigation into UPenn, which the Department of Education announced a day after the president signed the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order on Feb. 5.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a university spokesperson said UPenn has not received any “official notification” of the funding pause, and added that the university was and is in “full compliance” with NCAA and Ivy League policies.
“We are aware of media reports suggesting a suspension of $175 million in federal funding to Penn, but have not yet received any official notification or any details. It is important to note, however, that Penn has always followed NCAA and Ivy League policies regarding student participation on athletic teams. We have been in the past, and remain today, in full compliance with the regulations that apply to not only Penn, but all of our NCAA and Ivy League peer institutions.”
Gaines, a former 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer, found herself at the center of national attention when she tied with UPenn’s Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, in the 2022 NCAA National Championships.
Thomas and Gaines both tied for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle final, but it was Thomas that was given the fifth-place trophy to pose for photos with. Thomas would also go on to win a national championship title in the women’s 500-yard freestyle.
UPenn still stands at risk of losing all its federal funding amid an investigation into potential Title IX violations.
Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said in a statement provided by the Education Department last month that three institutions would be investigated for suspected Title IX violations.
In addition to UPenn, San Jose State University, which made headlines in the fall after several schools refused to play the women’s volleyball team because of a trans athlete on the roster, and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association are also being investigated for suspected violations.
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