The College Fix

UPDATED

Five teams now have refused to play San Jose State due to male, transgender-identifying athlete

Yet another women’s volleyball team has decided to forfeit rather than play against San Jose State University and its transgender-identifying male player.

The University of Nevada Reno team voted this week to forfeit its Oct. 26 match against the San Jose State women’s volleyball team, which includes a male player who identifies as female, Blaire Fleming, OutKick reports.

However, the university said Monday that it will not cancel the match.

“The players’ decision and statement were made independently, and without consultation with the University or the athletic department. The players’ decision also does not represent the position of the University,” the university stated, according to Nevada SportsNet.

It cited state and federal laws regarding equal rights protections, as well as “the rules and regulations of the NCAA and the Mountain West Conference, which include providing competition in an inclusive and supportive environment.”

“The University intends to move forward with the match as scheduled, and the players may choose not to participate in the match on the day of the contest,” it stated. “No players will be subject to any team disciplinary action for their decision not to participate in the match.”

Four other women’s teams also have forfeited to the California university this fall, The College Fix reported.

The UN Reno teammates’ decision came after their athletics department stated earlier this month that the two teams would compete, according to OutKick:

The Nevada athletic department said in an exclusive statement to OutKick on Oct. 3 that the team would play the scheduled match. …

But most of the Nevada players did not agree with the decision made by the school and decided to take matters into their own hands.

“We, the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team, forfeit against San Jose State University and stand united in solidarity with the volleyball teams of Southern Utah University, Boise State University, the University of Wyoming, and Utah State University,” the team wrote in an exclusive statement to OutKick.

“We demand that our right to safety and fair competition on the court be upheld. We refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes.”

Co-captain Sia Liilii, a senior, told OutKick the team was getting ready to play a game in Las Vegas when the department issued the statement.

Liilii said they were upset, and decided to take some time to think about what to do.

“The school released that statement without consulting our team at all,” Liilii said. “We were pretty upset that we were not made aware that a statement was going to come out.”

This week, she said their team decided “to stand in solidarity with other teams that have already forfeited and that we wouldn’t participate in a game that advances sex-based discrimination or injustice against female athletes.”

Their team is the fourth in the Mountain West Conference to forfeit a game to San Jose State.

According to the Nevada Current, “Boise State, Wyoming and Utah State have already forfeited games. (A fourth, non-conference team, Southern Utah, also refused to play the Spartans during a tournament earlier this season.)”

Another Nevada team, UN Las Vegas, did play San Jose State on Saturday and won 3-1, the Current reports.

Meanwhile, the UN Reno team has received praise online from lawmakers and advocates.

Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony said in a post on X that Liilii and her team have his “full support and admiration for their courageous decision.”

Riley Gaines, a 12-time all-American swimmer and advocate for women’s sports, said she was proud of the team Monday in a post on X.

University of Nevada becomes the 5th team to forfeit their upcoming match against SJSU. They’re the first school to specifically cite fairness & safety concerns as reason for forfeit.

Incredibly proud of these girls👏🏼 this is the way!!! pic.twitter.com/chEtM8CBKB

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 14, 2024

Gaines and other female athletes are suing the National Collegiate Athletic Association for allowing male athletes who identify as females to compete in women’s sports.

Brooke Slusser, co-captain of the San Jose State team, recently joined the lawsuit, The Fix reported.

Editor’s note: This article was updated to include a statement from the university about the team’s vote to forfeit.  

MORE: Schools forfeit to San Jose State women’s volleyball team with male player

IMAGE: University of Nevada Reno/Facebook

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