For schools and institutions of higher learning waiting for the Department of Education’s final action on a rule governing eligibility for transgender students on sports teams to be finalized, more patience is required. Initially expected in October, the Department of Education’s forthcoming rule on transgender athletes on sports teams has been delayed as the agency sifts through thousands of comments from the public, according to a spokesperson. The department’s changes would overrule statewide laws prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in sports that align with their gender identity and replace them with criteria for schools and institutions to use on an individual basis.