The San Jose State women’s volleyball team has secured a spot in the playoffs, angering fans amid the controversy surrounding trans player Blaire Fleming.
Multiple opponents have declined to play against San Jose State this season due to safety concerns for Fleming, who is a biological male.
As a result, the team has recorded seven wins via forfeit in the 2024 campaign, earning them a 12–6 conference record and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Fleming and the Spartans are now assured of a tie in the semifinals, where they will face either Utah State or Boise State – two of the teams that lost to them earlier this season.
And fans are far from happy on social media.
“They may get the trophy but not the honor, it will only be a participation trophy because they cheated,” one user commented on X.
Trans volleyball player Blaire Fleming (photo) and San Jose State have reached the playoffs
Multiple opponents have forfeited games against San Jose State due to the Fleming controversy
Another wrote: ‘Men don’t belong in women’s sports. The SJSU coach and [athletics director] should be fired.”
A third said: ‘Get that guy off the women’s team! Come on!’
“Winning by cheating isn’t as sad as winning,” wrote a fourth.
While people simply said: ‘Shame on the woke universities.’
Fleming, who is in her third season on SJSU’s roster, is currently at the center of a class action lawsuit filed against the NCAA, which is accused by more than a dozen female athletes of knowingly violating a law that prohibits discrimination on the grounds of gender. by allowing them to participate in women’s sports.
Utah State, Southern Utah and Nevada all forfeited games against the Spartans during that lawsuit, while Boise State and Wyoming refused to play them on two separate occasions.
According to Outkick, Fleming’s college asked Boise State and Utah State for money after saying they lost as a result of the cancellations.
Both games were scheduled to be hosted by the Spartans, meaning they couldn’t cash in on game day revenue when they lost.
It is believed that San Jose State has called on their two rivals to pay compensation of $1,250 each.
Fans took to X to rage about SJSU reaching the playoffs with a biological male on its team
Fleming will play three seasons of women’s volleyball for San Jose State
The council is calling for compensation after teams were forfeited due to concerns about Fleming
San Jose State athletics director Jeff Konya said in an email to Boise State: “Your institution’s arbitrary decision not to play an otherwise eligible NCAA team has resulted in financial harm to SJSU and to the brand of our institution.
“We estimate that we missed approximately $1,250 in game day revenue by not playing [match] on Saturday if you add up all the different revenue sources (e.g. concessions, parking). I would at least like to be cured.’
Boise State confirmed that they did not pay San Jose State despite their demands, while it is unclear whether Utah State did or not.
Meanwhile, thirteen Republican members of Congress have written to the Mountain West Conference urging Commissioner Gloria Nevarez to ban transgender athletes from playing against cisgender women.
“We write with serious concerns about safety and fair competition standards for women athletes competing in the Mountain West Conference,” read the open letter signed by members of the House and Senate. “We urge you to update your guidelines for student athletes to prevent biological males from competing with biological female students in women’s sports.”
The signatories include Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho and Burgess Owens, the Utah congressman who previously won a Super Bowl at the end of the 1980 season as a defensive back for the Oakland Raiders.