SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Trump administration gave San Jose State University 10 days to resolve what the U.S. Education Department has deemed are Title IX violations involving transgender athletes, saying the school will face legal action and the possible loss of federal funding if it fails to comply.
The department in January found that the university had discriminated against women by letting a transgender athlete play on the women’s volleyball team. The department issued its ultimatum in a Tuesday letter.
Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for civil rights, said the administration had provided the university with multiple ways to resolve the violations, including separating “male” and “female” athletes based on the administration's definitions of those terms.
"Yet, SJSU remains obstinate, choosing a radical ideology over safety, dignity, and fairness for its own students,” she said. “With today’s action, the Department is putting the university on notice: comply with the law or risk losing its federal funding.”
Title IX is a 1972 gender equity law.
A spokesperson for the California State University system directed The Associated Press to a web page in which the system and university say they disagree with the department's legal position and findings.
In a letter to the department, the university said Title IX prohibits discriminating against transgender individuals.
The Education Department has taken action against a series of states, schools and colleges that allow transgender athletes to participate on sports teams, something President Donald Trump has promised to end.
The investigation into San Jose State was opened in February 2025 alongside a similar one at the University of Pennsylvania. Penn later agreed to a deal similar to the one being offered to San Jose State, modifying school records set by a transgender swimmer and apologizing to other athletes on the swim team.
FILE - In this June 30, 2011, file photo is an exterior view of San Jose State University in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
FILE - People walk on the campus of San Jose State University in San Jose, Calif., on May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has finally decided to consider expanding past its current 30-team footprint, with the league's owners voting Wednesday to start exploring the process of adding franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle.
It was not a surprise move; expansion has been a consideration for years, and it's been clear for some time that those two cities — both with longstanding ties to the NBA — are the ones that are now a significant step closer toward joining the league.
Las Vegas, the league's summer home for years and site of the first NBA Cup championship games, has been clamoring for an NBA team since at least the late 1990s, if not even longer. And Seattle has been waiting for the SuperSonics to return for nearly two decades.
The ball is essentially now in their courts.
“Today’s vote reflects our Board’s interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle — two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties.”
What the league's board of governors voted to approve is being called an exploration of “potential team expansion.” Prospective ownership groups will now be tasked with putting together their bids and plans in an effort to prove to the league that they're worthy of owning NBA franchises.
The league said investment bank PJT Partners has been brought on “as a strategic adviser to evaluate prospective markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure, and the broader economic implications of expansion.”
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson applauded the vote, saying “the time is right.”
Seattle had an NBA team from 1967 through 2008, when the Sonics — who won the 1979 title — left to become the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Various groups have lobbied to bring the team — or a team — back ever since.
“Bringing the Sonics back is a top priority, and the state will be a strong partner in this effort," Ferguson said. "I plan to be there at tipoff with thousands of fellow fans when the Sonics return.”
Las Vegas has been part of the league for decades. The NBA’s Summer League is held in Las Vegas each year and has become a can’t-miss event for league executives, coaches, media, agents and even players who aren’t taking part in the games.
And the city used to play host to the occasional regular-season game; for example, in 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers broke the league’s career scoring record in a game against the Utah Jazz — who used Las Vegas for some of their home games at that time.
The idea of putting a franchise there might have seemed unlikely a couple of decades ago. Not anymore, especially not with the NFL’s Raiders, the NHL’s Golden Knights and the WNBA’s Aces all already there and with Major League Baseball on the way.
“Today’s vote by the NBA Board of Governors is a testament to the incredible growth we’re seeing in Southern Nevada and our state’s business-friendly environment,” Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said. “Las Vegans have already shown unwavering support for our professional sports franchises, and a new NBA team will provide even more entertainment, more jobs, and more small business growth for the region.”
Now that this step is complete, there are many issues to decide. A partial list:
— The expansion fee, which is expected to be at least $6 billion.
— The timeline for adding the clubs. It seems like the 2028-29 season would almost certainly be the earliest that could happen.
— The ripple effect. If both Las Vegas and Seattle get teams, they would certainly be in the Western Conference. To avoid having 17 teams in one conference and 15 in the other, the league would look to move a current West team into the Eastern Conference. Geographically, New Orleans, Memphis or Minnesota would be the most logical candidates to move into the East.
New Orleans guard Dejounte Murray was 11 years old when Seattle last had an NBA team. He grew up with hopes of being like Gary Payton, Ray Allen and Shawn Kemp, and even remembers a rookie who played for the SuperSonics named Kevin Durant.
“It’s a basketball city, basketball culture, so it’s mandatory I think that they get it back over there,” said Murray, a Seattle native.
Added Orlando's Paolo Banchero, another Seattle native: “I think it’s been a long time coming for the city. I think everybody was pretty bummed out when they left. And since then, it’s just been waiting and hoping that one day they will come back. I’m sure with the news, everybody’s excited. I know I’m excited for all the kids growing up because Seattle’s a really big basketball city.”
Golden State coach Steve Kerr said the SuperSonics were “one of the iconic franchises in the NBA.”
“I was shocked when the league left Seattle,” Kerr said. "Incredible fan base. Great basketball market. A ton of talent coming from Seattle. Top 10 media market. Incredible sports city. So, it was kind of shocking to all of us when the league left Seattle. And I think we all hoped it would be a lot sooner than 18, 19 years, whatever it’s going to be, before they got back in the league.
“They belong in that city, and a team belongs there,” he added. “Those fans deserve it.”
AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney and AP Sports Writers Schuyler Dixon in Dallas and Joe Reedy in Cleveland contributed to this report.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets NBA referee Ashley Moyer-Gleich as he arrives for an NBA basketball game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
