Ken Paxton Withdraws Texas Lawsuit Against NCAA Over Women’s Sports Marketing

• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office formally informed the state district court in Lubbock on Thursday, November 12, 2026, that it is dropping its December 2024 lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
• The original lawsuit alleged that the NCAA violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by misleading sports fans through the inclusion of transgender athletes in events marketed as women’s competitions.
• The dismissal is part of a broader withdrawal of high-profile state litigation by outgoing Attorney General Ken Paxton following his unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid in the November 3, 2026, midterm elections and Democrat Nathan Johnson’s victory in the race to succeed him as attorney general.
• Incoming Attorney General Nathan Johnson previously stated his intention to review Paxton-era litigation and halt legal actions deemed politically motivated, while noting he would not devote state resources to enforcing controversial 2025 legislation such as the state’s “bathroom bill”.
• In addition to dropping the NCAA case, Paxton’s office recently dismissed lawsuits seeking to shut down Houston immigrant-rights organisation FIEL and El Paso migrant shelter Annunciation House, drawing praise from community leaders.

Texas (Texas 24 News) November 14, 2026 – Outgoing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office has dropped its December 2024 lawsuit accusing the NCAA of deceptive marketing regarding transgender athletes in women’s sports. Filed in state district court, the case was formally abandoned after Ken Paxton lost his U.S. Senate bid in the November 3 midterm elections and Democrat Nathan Johnson was elected as the incoming attorney general. Nathan Johnson has pledged to review and halt politically motivated state lawsuits, a transition already marked by the recent dismissal of legal actions against migrant shelters and advocacy groups like Annunciation House and FIEL.

As reported by Bloomberg Law and local Texas news organisations, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office informed the state district court in Lubbock on Thursday, November 12, 2026, that it will not proceed with its active lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The original legal challenge, filed in December 2024, alleged that the collegiate sports governing body engaged in deceptive trade practices under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by falsely marketing athletic tournaments as women’s competitions while permitting transgender athletes to compete.

When the lawsuit was initially announced in late 2024, Ken Paxton issued a sharp statement defending the state’s legal posture. As reported by state capital press corps at the time, Ken Paxton stated that “radical ‘gender theory’ has no place in college sports.” In response to the initial filing, the NCAA did not directly address the specific allegations levelled by the state but maintained that it remains committed to supporting women’s athletics across all divisions. Following Thursday’s dismissal filing, both the Texas Attorney General’s office and representatives for the NCAA did not immediately respond to media requests for comment.

The decision to drop the NCAA litigation follows a series of sudden legal dismissals by Ken Paxton’s office in the wake of the November 3, 2026, midterm elections. During the election cycle, Ken Paxton lost his high-profile campaign for the U.S. Senate, while Democratic candidate Nathan Johnson defeated Republican Mayes Middleton to secure election as the next attorney general of Texas. Nathan Johnson stated publicly that upon taking office, he intends to review all pending Paxton-era lawsuits and halt legal actions that he deems to be primarily political in nature.

Earlier in the same week, Ken Paxton’s office moved to drop at least two other prominent state lawsuits. One dismissed case sought to dissolve FIEL, a Houston-based immigrant-rights organisation that the state had accused of violating Texas nonprofit restrictions by criticising federal immigration policies under President Donald Trump and state-level enforcement initiatives championed by Governor Greg Abbott. Paxton’s previous legal filings cited FIEL social media posts encouraging voters to oppose Donald Trump’s immigration proposals and challenging a controversial 2023 Texas statute authorising local law enforcement to arrest individuals suspected of crossing the border without legal authorisation.

In parallel, Ken Paxton’s office dropped a separate lawsuit aimed at shutting down Annunciation House, a long-standing El Paso migrant shelter that the attorney general had accused of illegally harbouring undocumented immigrants. The termination of the state’s legal action against the shelter brought immense relief to shelter leadership. As reported by El Paso Matters, Ruben Garcia, founder and executive director of Annunciation House, stated: “It’s very gratifying that this has now ended. It’s over.”

The winding down of these lawsuits highlights a significant policy pivot for the state’s top legal office. Throughout the midterm election campaigns, cultural and social policy issues—particularly regarding transgender athletes, gender identity, and immigration enforcement—formed a central pillar of Republican messaging. Nathan Johnson and Republican opponent Mayes Middleton frequently clashed over these themes, reflecting debates that originated during their shared tenure in the Texas Senate. Notably, Nathan Johnson singled out the 2025 “bathroom bill,” authored by Mayes Middleton, as legislation he would refuse to devote state resources or enforcement machinery to defend once sworn in as attorney general.

What Were the Specific Legal Allegations in the Dropped NCAA Lawsuit?

Legal filings reviewed by Bloomberg Law and regional correspondents outline the core claims brought by the Texas Attorney General’s office in December 2024:

• Statutory Basis: Brought under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, alleging consumer fraud and misleading commercial representation.
• Core Grievance: Claimed that the NCAA deceived sports fans, ticket buyers, and sponsors by advertising athletic championships as women’s sports events while allowing transgender athletes to participate.
• Stated Intent: Sought civil penalties, injunctions, and declaratory relief against the collegiate athletic body’s inclusion policies.
• Final Disposition: Voluntarily dismissed by the state attorney general’s office on November 12, 2026, without reaching a judicial ruling on the merits.

How Do the Dismissed Paxton-Era Lawsuits Compare Across State Priorities?

A structural overview illustrates the range of high-profile legal actions initiated by outgoing Attorney General Ken Paxton that have been dropped or marked for review following the November 2026 election:

Background of the Particular Development After the News

The Office of the Attorney General of Texas holds broad constitutional and statutory authority to initiate civil litigation on behalf of the state, enforce consumer protection statutes, and defend state laws enacted by the Texas Legislature. Over recent years under Ken Paxton’s tenure, the agency frequently deployed these legal powers to challenge federal policies, corporate inclusivity initiatives, and progressive municipal ordinances, making the attorney general’s office a central battleground in national political and cultural debates.

Following the November 3, 2026, midterm elections—which saw Ken Paxton defeated in his U.S. Senate campaign and Democrat Nathan Johnson elected to succeed him—the institutional direction of the state’s top legal office entered a period of transition. Incoming attorneys general in Texas traditionally evaluate ongoing litigation inherited from prior administrations, deciding whether to pursue, modify, or withdraw active state lawsuits based on departmental priorities, resource allocation, and changing executive policies.

How This Development Can Affect Texas Litigants, Incoming State Leadership, and Collegiate Sports Governing Bodies

The dismissal of the NCAA lawsuit and other high-profile state actions is projected to influence several key stakeholder groups across Texas jurisprudence and collegiate athletics:

1. Shift Toward Administrative Restraint and Case Review for the Incoming Attorney General’s Office

For incoming Attorney General Nathan Johnson and state litigation teams in Austin, the immediate post-election period will involve a comprehensive docket audit to determine which active lawsuits align with the new administration’s enforcement priorities, potentially leading to the discontinuation of further ideologically driven or politically charged civil suits.

2. Relief and Strategic Realignment for Civil Society Organisations and Nonprofits in Texas

For advocacy groups, immigrant shelters, and community organisations such as FIEL and Annunciation House, the termination of state-backed dissolution lawsuits removes immediate existential legal threats, allowing leadership to redirect resources toward core community services rather than prolonged courtroom defense.

3. Stability and Reduced Litigation Exposure for National Sports Organisations

For the NCAA and collegiate athletic conferences operating events in Texas, the dropping of the deceptive trade practices suit eliminates immediate legal liability under state consumer protection statutes, though broader national debates regarding eligibility guidelines and sports governance are expected to persist across other jurisdictions.