Boise State Forfeits Against SJSU, Transgender Blaire Fleming In Stunning Show Of Protest
LAS VEGAS, NV – In a stunning turn of events, the Boise State Broncos women's volleyball team announced that it will forfeit its semifinal match in the Mountain West Tournament against San Jose State.
Although the team did not specify the reason for the forfeit, that's obvious: SJSU has a trans-identifying biological male player, Blaire Fleming, on its team.
The Boise State Broncos announced that they will forfeit their Mountain West volleyball conference tournament semifinal match against San Jose State and transgender player Blaire Fleming.
(Boise State University Athletics & Getty Images)
The Broncos forfeited twice against SJSU during the regular season, but the prevailing thought was that the team wouldn't forfeit during the conference tournament and end its hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament.
However, that's exactly what the women decided to do.
"The decision to not continue to play in the 2024 Mountain West Volleyball Championship tournament was not an easy one. Our team overcame forfeitures to earn a spot in the tournament field and fought for the win over Utah State in the first round on Wednesday," Boise State Athletics wrote in a statement.
"They should not have to forgo this opportunity while waiting for a more thoughtful and better system that serves all athletes."
By forfeiting the match, Boise State ends its own season without taking the court for a spot they rightfully earned.
The Broncos defeated the Utah State Aggies, the third-seeded team in the Mountain West Conference tournament, in four sets on Wednesday.
After the game, a school spokesperson said that the team hadn't yet reached a decision on whether to forfeit against SJSU for a third time.
For San Jose State, they now coast into the Mountain West Championship without ever stepping foot on the court.
The Spartans received the #2 seed in the tournament, thanks in large part to six forfeit victories (SJSU went 6-6 in games contested during conference play), and got a first-round bye.
With the Boise State forfeit, SJSU effectively "earned" another bye straight into the final.
They will await the winner of the San Diego State-Colorado State match on Friday. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
RELATED: Trans Volleyball Player Blaire Fleming Receives Honorable Mention Honors From Mountain West
The tournament winner gets an automatic berth into the NCAA Division I Women's volleyball tournament, likely the only way a school from the Mountain West makes the NCAA Tournament.
Throughout the course of this entire controversy, the NCAA has remained silent. They have passed all the responsibility onto the schools and conferences to work it out.
However, if San Jose State wins the Mountain West Tournament and goes on to play in the NCAA tournament, the college sports governing body is finally going to be forced to speak on the matter.
They're surely hoping that doesn't happen.