If SD were the only state in the country who enacted a bill like this, Noem might have a case the NCAA would file a lawsuit against SD and punish college teams by suspending them from post season play.....
Now that it appears quite a few states are going to enact the same type of legislation, she really doesn’t have a leg stand on...
SD is a small state, if their team were suspended from post season play no one outside of SD would care, but if FL, GA, SC, TX, etc...all pass similar legislation, the NCAA would back off, there is strength in numbers but Noem decided to sit this one out...
That’s where it comes down to be a leader. If she would’ve signed the bill and then challenged Abbott, Desantis, and others to join her in the fight, she might have showed she was a leader.
She’s possibly a basic administrator, but nothing more.