Boise State women's volleyball team forfeits match over trans competitor Blaire Fleming

Boise State University’s women’s volleyball team forfeited its Saturday match against San Jose State University over the opposing team’s inclusion of a biological male player. That player, who goes by Blaire Fleming, has led the team to a 10-0 win streak.

In a statement ahead of the game, Boise State told OutKick, "Boise State volleyball will not play its scheduled match at San José State on Saturday, Sept. 28. Per Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Boise State. The Broncos will next compete on Oct. 3 against Air Force."

San Jose State University’s women’s volleyball team has been undefeated this season, with the team’s record sitting at 10-0 after the forfeiture. The team includes trans-identified male player Fleming.

The NCAA said in a statement, "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."

Ahead of the game, the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) penned a letter urging the Mountain West Conference and schools under the conference to take action to protect female athletes in the conference.

"Over the past few weeks, we have spoken with distraught student-athletes and their parents, coaches, and administrators throughout the Mountain West Conference (MWC) regarding a crisis in MWC women’s volleyball," the letter stated.

"Currently, the MWC, an NCAA member athletic conference, of which all but one of your schools is a public university, San Jose State University (SJSU), a California state university and MWC member school, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), are violating federal law by implementing and enforcing the NCAA transgender eligibility policies (TEP) and permitting a transgender-identifying male, Blaire Fleming, to compete on the SJSU women’s volleyball team."

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who is working with ICONS in its lawsuit against the NCAA over the inclusion of trans-identified males in women’s sports, told OutKick, "I commend Boise State’s athletic department and everyone involved in the decision to forfeit their match against undefeated San Jose State. Some principles transcend winning on the court, and the safety and well-being of female athletes is one of them." Notably, San Jose State senior co-captain Brooke Slusser has joined the lawsuit.

"It's encouraging to witness a growing number of institutions prioritizing fairness and athlete safety over forced inclusion. I hope to see more universities follow the lead of Boise State and Southern Utah, standing up for what’s right and protecting the integrity of women’s sports."

Boise State is the third school to either drop out of competition or consider dropping out in matches against San Jose State. Southern Utah withdrew from a match scheduled for September 14, and the University of Wyoming is reportedly considering dropping out from its upcoming October 5 match.