Boise State Women’s Volleyball Forfeits Upcoming Match Against SJSU, Trans Player Blaire Fleming: EXCLUSIVE
Boise State University’s women’s volleyball team has forfeited its match against San Jose State University, initially scheduled for Saturday (Sept. 28), as safety concerns for female student-athletes arise in the women's collegiate volleyball space.
San Jose State University features a transgender player, Blaire Fleming, and is undefeated this season. Its record is now 10-0.
OutKick received the exclusive statement:
"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."
The NCAA also released a statement, obtained first by OutKick, on the forfeiture:
"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."
Blaire Fleming Continues To Dominate Women's Volleyball (CREDIT: SJSU Athletics)
((CREDIT: SJSU Athletics))
This week, the Mountain West Conference, which hosts SJSU, was alerted by the ICONS organization of growing concern for female athletes’ safety and hesitance to compete against Blaire Fleming due to apparent physical advantages posed by a man competing against women.
The letter read, in part, "Over the last 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."
Riley Gaines, working with ICONS in its lawsuit against the NCAA, released a statement to OutKick regarding BSU’s decision to withdraw from its match against SJSU.
Gaines applauded BSU’s decision to prioritize its female players’ safety — highlighting SJSU’s lack of action by allowing Blaire Fleming to continue competing.
"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.
"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."
EXCLUSIVE: Southern Utah Refuses To Play San Jose State Volleyball, Which Has Transgender Player
Boise State is the third school to either consider dropping out or follow through on dropping a match against San Jose State.
Southern Utah did not comment on their withdrawal from a match on Sept. 14.
ICONS puts pressure on Mountain West Conference schools to take action against Blaire Fleming, SJSU. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
The University of Wyoming reportedly considered dropping its upcoming match on Oct. 5.
With BSU’s withdrawal, other schools are under increasing pressure to take a stand by refusing to compete against Fleming or risk injury to their players by putting them out to compete against a 6-foot-1 male opponent.
Fleming’s own teammate and SJSU women’s volleyball co-captain, Brooke Slusser, joined the ongoing lawsuit by ICONS to hold the NCAA accountable for its reckless promulgation of transgender eligibility protocol.
Slusser, having practiced with Fleming and previously roomed with Brayden ("Blaire") without knowledge of his being transgender, cited safety concerns in her decision to join the lawsuit.
ICONS’ letter adds, "Slusser decides terrorizing practices and games in which a man is smashing volleyballs into the faces and bodies of young women at speeds of over 80 mph and making a mockery of fair competition."
ICONS, Gaines, OutKick, and more are stepping up efforts to protect women’s sports from ongoing attacks against Title IX and, by extension, vulnerable female student-athletes.
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