NCAA Volleyball in crisis as fifth team forfeits over transgender player involvement

A growing controversy in women’s college volleyball has led five teams to forfeit matches against San Jose State University (SJSU) due to the presence of a reportedly transgender player, Blaire Fleming, on the SJSU team.

On October 14, The University of Nevada joined  Southern Utah, Boise State, the University of Wyoming, and Utah State University, citing concerns related to fairness in women's sports. "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," a statement from the team read.

Image Credit: Instagram @Blaire.Fleming

SJSU's volleyball program has been caught in the middle of a broader national debate about the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports. Fleming, an allegedly transgender woman, has been a prominent player on the SJSU team, which currently sits third place in the Mountain West conference, largely on the back of the forfeits.

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Flemming's place on the team, and the wider issue of transgender athletes in sport, has continued to snowball for NCAA – to the point that SJSU's games now require police supervision (pictured).

Flemming, for her part, has not publically commented on the issue or to confirm whether she is in fact transgender. However, her Instagram account has been flooded with messages of support.

Image credit: Instagram @blaire.fleming

The NCAA’s policies regarding transgender athletes require players like Fleming to meet specific hormone-level guidelines to compete in women’s sports. Despite complying with these regulations, the presence of transgender athletes has sparked considerable backlash, particularly from conservative-leaning states.

SJSU has expressed disappointment over the forfeitures, emphasizing that their athletes are in full compliance with both NCAA and Mountain West Conference – which the team competes in – rules.

"It is disappointing that our SJSU student athletes, who are in full compliance with NCAA and Mountain West rules and regulations, are being denied opportunities to compete," the Universtiy wrote in a statement to Outkick.

Photo by Jacob Rice on Unsplash

The Mountain West Conference administrators have since revealed they have received a number of complaints about the safety of the competition as a result of Flemmings's involvement, labeling it a "crisis" within the sport.

"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," the letter to the conference read.

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The NCAA’s 2022 policy update, which mandates testosterone testing and other criteria, has not quelled concerns among some athletes, coaches, and political figures who argue that transgender women have unfair physical advantages. As a result, a lawsuit has been a against the NCAA over its broader transgender inclusion policy.

The lawsuit, led by Riley Gaines (pictured) who has become something of an activist against transgender women's participation in sport, was filed in March 2024 and hinges on the experiences of women who say the policy is discrimination against women, as reported by Forbes.

But it's not just opposition teams that have raised issues with the team – even some of Flemming's teammates have come out against the athlete.

Brooke Slusser (pictured middle), a former roommate and teammate of Blaire Fleming, has stated that Fleming admitted to being biologically male, according to Outkick. Slusser, who is now part of the lawsuit against the NCAA, expressed concerns about her safety after learning Fleming was transgender, a fact she claims was not disclosed to her despite rooming together on trips.

Image Credit: Instagram @brookeslusser04

As a co-captain of the San Jose State volleyball team, Slusser also raised concerns about the fairness of having Fleming compete against female athletes. In her complaint, she estimated that Fleming’s spikes reached speeds of up to 80 mph, far faster than she had ever seen from other female players.

Slusser added, as reported by the Daily Mail, that despite efforts to avoid Fleming’s powerful hits, her teammates struggled to protect themselves fully. She has also been inundated with messages of support on her Instagram pages.

Image Credit: Instagram @brookeslusser04

The role of transgender athletes in sports is still very much a hot topic with no clear-cut solution – as this particular case shows us. With SJSU tracking well in their season from a results perspective, this issue might even rage on until the finals in December.

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