Controversy Over Trans Athlete Dominates Mountain West Volleyball Tournament

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San Jose State University’s volleyball team finds itself at the center of a national controversy as it heads into the Mountain West Tournament. The team's season has been marked by forfeited matches, lawsuits, and debates over the inclusion of a transgender athlete, Blaire Fleming, whose presence has sparked polarized responses across the league.

 

 

San Jose State, which finished the regular season with a 12-6 conference record, benefited from six forfeited matches, earning a first-round bye in the tournament. The Spartans are now guaranteed a spot in the semifinals, where they will face either Utah State or Boise State—two teams that refused to play against them during the season due to objections to Fleming’s participation. Boise State took the most drastic stance, forfeiting two scheduled matches, while Utah State forfeited one and has since joined a lawsuit seeking to have that loss overturned.

 

 

The stakes are high for San Jose State, not just on the court but in navigating the social and legal challenges surrounding its inclusion in the tournament. Brooke Slusser, the team’s co-captain and a plaintiff in two lawsuits related to Fleming’s eligibility, expressed uncertainty about how the upcoming matches will unfold. “We’re just mostly wondering, are teams even gonna play us, period, if we go there?” Slusser told Fox News Digital.

 

She noted the unpredictability of the situation, saying, “It seems like every few days it looks like it’ll be a fine day and everything’s normal, and then something else happens.”

 

The Mountain West Conference has stated its commitment to ensuring fair competition while also preparing for potential forfeitures. A spokesperson confirmed that the conference would recognize San Jose State as the tournament champion if their opponent in the final were to forfeit. “If we get to a championship game, and it’s San Jose State vs. whoever, if that institution forfeits the game, then San Jose State wins that match, and they are tournament champions,” the spokesperson explained, adding that the team would become the automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament.

 

The controversy has also reached the courts, with a federal judge in Colorado holding an emergency hearing to address Utah State’s legal challenge. Plaintiffs argued that Fleming should not be allowed to compete in the tournament. The hearing, presided over by Judge Kato Crews, began with a contentious debate over pronouns and whether Fleming’s name should be used publicly for privacy reasons. Judge Crews ultimately decided to use she/her pronouns when referring to Fleming and promised a ruling in a “timely fashion.”

 

Meanwhile, San Jose State has stood firmly behind Fleming and the team’s right to compete. A university spokesperson defended the inclusion of Fleming, citing compliance with NCAA and Mountain West Conference policies. “Our volleyball team members have earned the right to compete, and we are deeply disappointed for them and with them that they are being denied those opportunities through cancellations and forfeits,” the spokesperson said. “We are also proud of how they have persevered through these challenges on the court.”

 

As the tournament approaches, the spotlight remains firmly fixed on San Jose State. With lingering questions about whether their opponents will take the court and a legal ruling pending, the team’s path forward is anything but clear. The controversy underscores the broader national debate surrounding transgender athletes in sports and highlights the complex intersection of inclusion, fairness, and competition in collegiate athletics.

 

Based on a report by NYP 2024-11-27

 

 

 

[Jingthing]

Go Spartans!

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Jingthing

[quake]

One more bloke, in women's sport and there changing rooms. 

[Jingthing]

The forfeiting teams are bad sports. Reminds me of Iranians refusing to play Israelis.