The University of Nevada will forfeit its match against the San Jose State University women’s volleyball team, according to an apparent statement from the women on the team
The Nevada Wolfpack is now the fifth women’s volleyball team to choose a forfeit over playing against a team that possibly has a transgender athlete, Blaire Fleming. Fleming has not come out publicly as trans or otherwise.
In announcing the forfeit, the Nevada team released a joint statement:
“We, the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team, forfeit against San Jose State University and stand united in solidarity with the volleyball teams of Southern Utah University, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming, and Utah State University.
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“We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match taht advances injustice against female athletes.”
Related
A fourth team forfeits against San Jose State over a possible trans athlete. An NCAA crisis looms.
San Jose State and Blaire Fleming will now win their 4th match by forfeit. What’s next for SJSU as an NCAA full-blown crisis looms?
By Cyd Zeigler | October 3, 2024
Interestingly, the forfeit wins for the San Jose State Spartans are not showing up on their list of wins. Why? Apparently, the NCAA has a minimum number of matches a team has to actually play to qualify for postseason competition.
So these forfeits could contribute to SJSU’s qualification for NCAA postseason play.
Riley Gaines, the virulently anti-trans advocate, posted a photo of some of the players for Nevada wearing “BOYcott” shirts.
San Jose State was supposed to compete against Nevada in Reno on Oct. 26.
According to OutKick, which has an long history of anti-trans posts, players on the team were upset that the University had previously committed to playing in the match.
The controversy has, as Outsports predicted, exploded into a national conversation about the inclusion of trans women in the female sports category.
By all accounts, Fleming has competed in the female category for many years. Only now, after possibly being outed, are teams choosing to reject her inclusion.
To be clear, Fleming has never come out publicly or acknowledged she is transgender.
Nevada is currently 10-8 and near the bottom of the Mountain West Conference standings.
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