Officials at San Jose State University say they are “disappointed” that another team has forfeited a game to avoid playing against SJSU’s transgender volleyball player.
SJSU’s women’s volleyball team advanced very quickly into the top tier of the Mountain West Conference, not because they were a powerhouse on the court but because they “won” a large number of games due to forfeits by teams boycotting transgender player Blaire Fleming.
Now, SJSU has “won” its first semifinal match in the same way as the Boise State Broncos announced on Thursday that they will not play their scheduled game, Fox News reported.
The Broncos announced their decision immediately after beating Utah State in the first round of their first semifinal playoff game.
Boise State had previously forfeited their games against SJSU during the regular season.
SJSU released a statement saying they were “disappointed” by the move.
“In this time of Thanksgiving, we are especially thankful for those who continue to engage in civil and respectful discourse,” SJSU said in a statement. “We celebrate and support all of our students, including our student-athletes as they compete for our community on this holiday weekend.
“While we are disappointed in Boise State’s decision, our women’s volleyball team is preparing for Saturday’s match and looks forward to competing for a championship,” the school concluded.
In the next game of the semifinals, SJSU will face the team that wins between top-seeded Colorado State or No. 5 San Diego State. Neither of those teams had forfeited against SJSU during the season, so SJSU will likely get to play the next game.
To date, five colleges have refused to play against SJSU over the school’s inclusion of transgender player Blair Fleming, including Boise State, Wyoming, Utah State, and Nevada.
The NCAA is also being sued by several groups over its policy of allowing transgender players to play as women.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.