Another women’s collegiate volleyball team has forfeited its game against San Jose State University, a team with a transgender athlete, putting pressure on the NCAA to bar biological males from female sports.
The University of Wyoming said Tuesday evening that its women’s volleyball team would take the loss rather than play San Jose State and standout redshirt senior Blaire Fleming, identified as a male-to-female transgender student.
“After a lengthy discussion, the University of Wyoming will not play its scheduled conference match against San Jose State University in the UniWyo Sports Complex on Saturday, Oct. 5,” Wyoming spokesperson Chad Baldwin said in a statement. “Per Mountain West Conference policy, the conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Wyoming.”
Wyoming became the third university in the Division I Mountain West to withdraw from its game against the undefeated Spartans.
Southeast Utah and Boise State already had refused to play San Jose State.
None of the schools has given an explanation for refusing to play, but Fleming’s participation on the San Jose squad has been hotly debated since Reduxx broke the story in April.
Those cheering the university’s decision included Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, who said he was in “full support of the decision by @wyoathletics to forego playing its volleyball match against San Jose State.
“It’s important we stand for integrity and fairness in female athletics,” the Republican governor wrote on X.
The decision came after Republican state Sen. Cheri Steinmetz circulated a letter among state legislators urging University of Wyoming President Ed Seidel and Athletic Director Tom Burman to forfeit the scheduled match.
“We assure you; the majority of our constituents do not want the integrity of Women’s Athletics to be decimated by the participation of males who overall have superior physical strength and abilities to women,” said the Oct. 1 letter. “We the undersigned Legislators urge you to cancel this match and reconsider your policies regarding DEI and DEI in Women’s Athletics at UW.”
San Jose State has not commented publicly on Fleming, who transferred to the California school in 2022 after playing at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina.
Fleming has the second-most kills and points on the 9-0 team, trailing only redshirt sophomore Nayeli Ti’a.
But last week, Fleming’s teammate Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit against the NCAA challenging its policy allowing male-born players to compete in female sports based on gender identity.
Idaho, Utah and Wyoming are among the 25 states that have passed measures barring biological males from competing based on gender identity in female scholastic sports.
San Jose State’s next match is Thursday against Colorado State University in Fort Collins, which is unlikely to forfeit, given that Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill last year making Colorado a “transgender sanctuary” state.
LETS GOOOO. University of Wyoming is the third school to forfeit their match against SJSU because they have a man on their women’s team
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 1, 2024
This is the way. Do not comply. Major kudos to @WYO_Volleyball @BroncoSportsVB @SUUVolleyball 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼https://t.co/xhmh9SxS4k
The Independent Women’s Forum, which opposes biological males in female sports, called on the NCAA to “uphold the integrity and future of women’s sports and stop forcing female collegiate athletes to either forfeit or accept unfair and unsafe competition.”
“Proceeding with an unfair competition would not only falsely legitimize San Jose State’s undefeated season, but it would put women at physical risk,” the IWF said.
“It is un-American to force women to accept less because a male asserts a right to invade a female space, and Independent Women’s Forum condemns the athletic leadership that have put these women and school leaders in this position,” the group added.
Asked for comment, the NCAA referred to its Sept. 27 statement issued in response to the Boise State forfeit.
“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,” the statement said.
The NCAA, headed by former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, said in April that its transgender-eligibility policy is under review, but made no changes for the 2024-25 academic year.
May Mailman, director of the Independent Women’s Law Center, said the NCAA has “not listened” to advocates for single-sex sports, but that the organization may have no choice but to listen to female athletes.
“Now, women are taking the next step and refusing to celebrate a dangerous, co-ed sport they never signed up for. That’s incredible,” she said. “But if these women can take a stand for themselves, surely the adults who have previously benefited from fair competition can do the same.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story misreported the date of San Jose State’s game against Colorado State.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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