Boise State forfeits volleyball game against Mountain West team with transgender athlete

Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Boise State’s volleyball squad announced Friday day that it had backed retired of its lucifer against San Jose State this weekend.

“Boise State volleyball will not play … astatine San José State connected Saturday, Sept. 28,” BSU said successful a statement. “Per Mountain West Conference policy, nan Conference will grounds nan lucifer arsenic a forfeit and a nonaccomplishment for Boise State. The Broncos will adjacent compete connected Oct. 3 against Air Force.”

The undefeated San Jose State volleyball squad has been successful nan spotlight this play because of a transgender student-athlete competing for nan Spartans. That subordinate is successful her 3rd twelvemonth astatine nan school, having antecedently played for Coastal Carolina earlier transferring.

When asked by nan Idaho Statesman connected Friday for comment, neither Boise State Athletics spokesperson Chris Kutz nor Boise State University spokesperson Sherry Squires provided further mentation for why nan crippled was canceled.

San Jose State spokesperson Michelle Smith McDonald told nan Statesman that it would not remark specifically connected a student-athlete’s gender identity.

“We are operating our programme nether nan regulations of some nan NCAA and nan Mountain West, and our student-athletes are successful afloat compliance pinch NCAA rules and regulations,” Smith McDonald said.

San Jose State volleyball subordinate Brooke Slusser precocious joined a suit against nan NCAA, according to a mobility revenge successful nan Northern District Court of Georgia, Atlanta Division, wherever nan suit was first filed. It intends to forestall transgender women from competing successful NCAA-sanctioned women’s sports.

Slusser states successful nan mobility that a transgender subordinate is competing for San Jose State and claims that nan NCAA “violated Title IX and nan Fourteenth Amendment” successful allowing nan trans jock to compete.

Riley Gaines, a erstwhile swimmer astatine nan University of Kentucky, initially brought nan suit against nan NCAA and has been joined by much than a twelve assemblage athletes, according to CBS.

Gaines took to societal media Friday and posted, “While nary charismatic logic was given, nan origin is clear — SJSU has a antheral posing arsenic a female connected their team.”

Southern Utah besides canceled its crippled against San Jose State this season, connected Sept. 14, but did not supply a reason, according to Outkick, a commentary website owned by Fox. Gaines is simply a contributor for Outkick.

That website besides said that Wyoming was considering forfeiting its crippled against SJSU connected Oct. 5.

However, a spokesperson for that schoolhouse told Cowboy State Daily that nan lucifer will beryllium played.

“The Athletic Department administration/coaching unit precocious discussed nan matter pinch nan full women’s volleyball squad … including immoderate imaginable information concerns,” Chad Baldwin told Cowboy State Daily this week. “No student-athletes expressed immoderate interest regarding their safety.”

Idaho Republican Gov. Brad Little put retired a statement Friday on Facebook commending nan Boise State decision.

“I applaud Boise State University for moving wrong nan tone of my Executive Order, nan Defending Women’s Sports Act. We request to guarantee subordinate information for each of our female athletes and proceed nan conflict for fairness successful women’s sports,” Little said.

Joshua Whitworth, executive head of nan Idaho State Board of Education, besides supported forfeiting nan match.

“Boise State’s action we judge is successful alignment pinch Governor Little’s executive order,” Whitworth said successful a connection to nan Statesman. “I besides judge that a solution must beryllium recovered to guarantee fairness and opportunity successful each sports crossed nan country; otherwise, this rumor will proceed to thrust section and unit decisions for illustration nan 1 made by Boise State.”

Reporter Ian Stevenson contributed to this story.