The women’s volleyball team at Boise State University decided to forfeit a Saturday match against San José State University seemingly over its inclusion of a transgender player, who identifies as a female.
In a statement first provided to sports website OutKick on Friday, Boise State Athletics did not publicly provide an official reason for the decision.
“Boise State volleyball will not play its scheduled match at San José State on Saturday, Sept. 28,” the statement reads. “Per Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Boise State. The Broncos will next compete on Oct. 3 against Air Force.”
San José State women’s volleyball has so far remained undefeated this season with a 10-0 record. The team features a transgender student-athlete named Blaire Fleming, who entered his third year at the school after transferring from Coastal Carolina University.
“We are operating our program under the regulations of both the NCAA and the Mountain West,” a San José State spokesperson told the Idaho Statesman, “and our student-athletes are in full compliance with NCAA rules and regulations.” The spokesperson withheld commenting on a student-athlete’s gender identity.
Fleming’s physical advantages as a biological male have been under scrutiny, as safety concerns continue being raised in women’s collegiate sports. His own teammate, Brooke Slusser, joined former swimmer Riley Gaines and more than a dozen female athletes earlier this week in suing the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) for violating Title IX by allowing transgender players to compete in women’s sports.
Fleming’s participation in women’s volleyball has been raised by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports in a Tuesday letter to the Mountain West Conference. Slusser is said to have joined the ongoing lawsuit against NCAA over safety concerns.
“Brooke Slusser describes terrorizing practices and games in which a man is smashing volleyballs into the faces and bodies of young women at speeds of over 80 mph and making a mockery of fair competition,” the letter states.
Boise State is now the second team to forfeit a match with San José State; Southern Utah University opted out of playing a September 14 match against the California university.
The University of Wyoming was reportedly considering dropping its match against San José State on October 5, though a spokesperson told the Cowboy State Daily that the upcoming match will move forward despite the transgender controversy.
Boise State’s decision to forfeit Saturday’s game was applauded by Gaines, Idaho State Board of Education executive director Joshua Whitworth, and Idaho governor Brad Little. The Republican commended Boise State for “working within the spirit” of his new executive order, the Defending Women’s Sports Act. Little signed it last month.
The NCAA also provided a statement to OutKick in response to the forfeiture.
“College sports are the premier stage for women’s sports in America and the NCAA members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports, and ensure fair competition for all student-athletes in all NCAA championships.”