The university followed Boise State and Southern Utah in forfeiting to SJSU, which has a male on its team.
The University of Wyoming women’s volleyball team has forfeited its Oct. 5 match against San Jose State University, which has a male on its team.
“After a lengthy discussion, the University of Wyoming will not play its scheduled conference match against San José State University in the UniWyo Sports Complex on Saturday, Oct. 5,” the team said in an Oct. 1
statement.“Per Mountain West Conference policy, the conference will record the match as a forfeit and a loss for Wyoming. The Cowgirls will host Fresno State on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the UniWyo Sports Complex.”
The SJSU team includes player Blaire Fleming, a male.
The University of Wyoming followed Boise State and Southern Utah in forfeiting to SJSU. None of the teams cited Fleming as the reason.
“Boise State volleyball will not play its scheduled match at San José State on Saturday, Sept. 28,” the Boise State team said in a Sept. 27
statement. “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.”
Idaho Gov. Brad Little praised the team for refusing to play.
“I applaud @BoiseState for working within the spirit of my Executive Order, the Defending Women’s Sports Act. We need to ensure player safety for all of our female athletes and continue the fight for fairness in women’s sports,” he
posted on social media platform X on Sept. 27.
Southern Utah did not release a statement about its forfeited game against SJSU. A
screenshot of the schedule showing the cancellation was taken by sports and culture website Outkick. The Epoch Times has reached out to Southern Utah for comment.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, SJSU criticized the cancellations.
“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,” Michelle Smith McDonald, SJSU senior director of media relations for university marketing and communications, said.
“We are committed to supporting our student-athletes through these challenges and in their ability to compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment.”
In a statement to The Epoch Times, the NCAA did not address the cancellations directly.
“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,” it said.
“The University of Wyoming has made the right choice to join Boise State and forfeit its match against San Jose State University, and we applaud them for it,“ the group said. ”But we’ve had enough! NCAA women athletes come to campus to compete in their sport, not sit out as a statement against the NCAA’s crusade to destroy the integrity of women’s sports.”
The coalition—which includes groups such as the Independent Women’s Forum, Young Women for America, the Independent Council on Women’s Sports, Women’s Sports Policy Working Group, and the International Consortium on Female Sport—called on the NCAA to revoke its policy of allowing males who identify as females to play against females.
The
policy requires transgender-identifying athletes to “document sport-specific testosterone levels beginning four weeks before their sport’s championship selections” and at other points in the season.
The issue of males in female sports has been a flashpoint in the United States.
The Biden administration
issued a regulation applying Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to males who identify as female. It took effect on Aug. 1.
