USU joins list of forfeits protesting transgender player on San Jose volleyball team

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Utah State University is the latest Mountain West University to cancel a volleyball match against San Jose State University in an apparent protest of NCAA rules allowing transgender women in sports.

Southern Utah University was the first to cancel on September 14 at the Santa Clara Tournament where they canceled a scheduled matchup.

The University did not release a statement as to why the match was cancelled.

Utah State University released a statement Wednesday, Oct. 2 saying the women’s volleyball team “will not participate in its scheduled October 23, 2024, volleyball match at San Jose State University,” adding, “The University will abide by Mountain West Conference policy regarding how this match is recorded.”

The statement was not online for long before it was pulled from the Utah State University website.

KUTV reached out to USU Athletics, and while there was no official statement on why the original statement was pulled, we understand more will be coming from the University Thursday.

A player for the San Jose State team, Blaire Fleming, is reportedly a biological male playing now as a transgender woman.

Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz reacted to the news from Utah State saying in a post on X:

“To the Utah State and Southern Utah Women Volleyball teams: We stand behind you and are cheering you on! Thank you for standing up for not only yourselves, but for women across the country – current and future generations! It’s time for the NCAA to take action to protect our female athletes and preserve women’s sports.”

USU’s cancellation follows an announcement Tuesday from the University of Wyoming saying they cancelled their Saturday matchup with San Jose.

“After a lengthy discussion, the University of Wyoming will not play its scheduled conference match against San José State University in the UniWyo Sports Complex on Saturday, Oct. 5. Per Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Wyoming. The Cowgirls will host Fresno State on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the UniWyo Sports Complex.”

Wyoming’s Governor Mark Gordon posted on X saying, “I am in full support of the decision by @wyoathletics to forego playing its volleyball match against San Jose State. It is important we stand for integrity and fairness in female athletics.”

Boise State forfeited a match against San Jose in late September.

ICONS or the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, a not-for-profit advocating to save women’s sports, has reported on San Jose player Blaire Fleming.

Riley Gaines, a former swimmer, and advocate for women in sports, tweeted after USU’s announcement, saying, “Utah State University becomes the fourth school to forfeit their match against SJSU due to a man playing on the women’s volleyball team. Major kudos to @USUAthletics.”

In March of this year, 16 female athletes filed a landmark Title IX Lawsuit Against the NCAA over the allowance of transgender women in sports.

San Jose State’s Volleyball account on Instagram has been flooded with comments from people both supporting the forfeits and the team.

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