Let's jump back to 2020 briefly. World Economic Forum member Tulsi Gabbard pushed the "Save Women's Sports Act", which failed in Congress.
At this point, the people we now know as TERFs were still trying to get female murderers freed.
The president of the NCAA at the time was a lifetime member of the Council for Foreign Relations.
Jump forward, to March 11th, 2022. The famous AEI meeting of neocon Republicans occurred, with a representative of the WH attending. They were talking about the future of the Republican Party, without President Donald J. Trump.
One more week forward, trans woman Lia Thomas wins an NCAA race, and who comes forward as the first to oppose it? Ron DeSantis, the very person who would have been chosen at the AEI meeting, based on what we know now.
This was the plan the neocons were going with, prop up a false agenda, and push that only DeSantis could stop it.
Conservative Tree House mentions this agenda, calling it the Sea Island Strategy.
There is value in altering people's perception of reality and reforming institutions that would normally clash with your new religion into one's that affirm it. Also, don't forget about the groomer shit in schools. It's not just sports.