The University of Nevada, Reno, in the US, has officially forfeited an upcoming women’s volleyball match against San José State University in California, which includes Blaire Fleming, a transgender player on its roster. This comes as Utah State University forfeited a match against San José State for the same reason.

After reports that the University of Nevada, Reno’s Wolf Pack players had voted against facing San José’s Spartans on October 26, the university affirmed the decision.

In an official statement, the Nevadan academic establishment noted: “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 of Nevada, Reno, in the US, has officially forfeited an upcoming women’s volleyball match 

Image credits: nevada_volleyball

The statement continued: “The University and its athletic programs are governed by the Nevada Constitution and Nevada law, which strictly protect equality of rights under the law, and that equality of rights shall not be denied or abridged by this state or any of its subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin. 

“The University is also governed by federal law as well as the rules and regulations of the [National Collegiate Athletic Association] 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. 

“No players will be subject to any team disciplinary action for their decision not to participate in the match.”

 

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Unlike other universities that have forfeited matches against the Spartans, the Wolf Pack will not be forfeiting before players step onto the court, Fox News reported on Monday (October 14).

The team told OutKick on Monday: “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.

“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.” 

Sia Liilii, a senior in the Wolf Pack, further revealed: “We were actually in Las Vegas preparing for our match against UNLV, our in-state rival.

“It was a really frustrating time, especially because we were about to go and play a big game.”

The university forfeited its match against San José State University in California

Image credits: sanjosestatevb

Utah State University has already forfeited a match against San José State, prompting a lawsuit filed against Blaire.

Blaire is a senior participating in her third season on San José’s roster. As per the lawsuit, she violated a law that prohibits transgender players from competing in women’s sports, Bored Panda previously reported.

Several US states have laws that prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. 

These laws aim to restrict participation based on biological sex rather than gender identity, primarily to address concerns about fairness and competitive balance, Christian website The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission explains.

Image credits: blaire.fleming

Florida, Utah, and Idaho have implemented such bans, which cover high school and collegiate sports. 

“Utah State University will not participate in its scheduled October 23, 2024, volleyball match at San Jose State University,” Utah State said in a statement earlier this month. “The University will abide by Mountain West Conference policy regarding how this match is recorded.”

Southern Utah, Boise State, and the University of Wyoming have all already forfeited games against San José.

Advocacy groups have denounced the decisions to cancel scheduled volleyball games based on Blaire’s gender identity.

The team’s decision was prompted by Blaire Fleming, a transgender player on San José’s roster

Image credits: nevadawolfpack

Tom Temprano, of LGBTQ+ rights group Equality California, told the East Bay Times earlier this month that the controversy is “rooted in transphobia not reality.”

He further stated that only about 1.6% of all collegiate athletes identify as transgender and that rules are in place to level the playing field. 

Tom continued: “A very vocal group of extremists has really been able to gin up an unreasonable amount of hatred and concern. 

“But the reality is that this just is not a widespread problem.”

Image credits: RealDanZak

The debate over whether trans women should compete in women’s sports has divided the scientific community.

While some researchers have emphasized fairness in competition due to the potential physical advantages of male puberty, others have highlighted the importance of inclusion and argued that hormone therapy mitigates such advantages. 

Joanna Harper, a sports scientist who identifies as a transgender woman, explained that transgender women’s advantages in sports were not necessarily unfair.

She pointed to left-handed athletes, who have advantages over right-handed athletes in many sports. 

This comes as Utah State University forfeited a match against San José State for the same reason

Image credits: blaire.fleming

“It is perhaps most marked in fencing where 40% of elite fencers are left-handed versus 10% of the population is left-handed,” the scientist told the BBC in 2022.

Consequently, the question shouldn’t be, “Do trans women have advantages?” but rather, “Can trans women and women compete against one another in meaningful competition?” according to Joanna.

She explained: “Trans women can have disadvantages because their larger frames are now being powered by reduced muscle mass and reduced aerobic capacity, but that’s not as obvious as the advantages of simply being bigger.

“Yes, it’s true that competition can often come down to a very small margin, but there are, in any competition, many factors that come into overall performance and just saying that ‘oh, somebody has an advantage’ in one factor doesn’t necessarily determine the outcome.”

Image credits: nevadawolfpack

As per Ross Tucker, a sports scientist, the physiological differences established during puberty can create “significant performance advantages (between men and women).”

He told the BBC: “When boys reach the age of 13-14, things start to change physically and we see increased muscle mass, bone density; [it] changes the shape of the skeleton, changes the heart and the lung, hemoglobin levels, and all of those things are significant contributors to performance.

“Lowering the testosterone has some effect on those systems, but it’s not complete, and so for the most part, whatever the biological differences are that were created by testosterone persist even in the presence of testosterone reduction – or, if I put that differently, even after testosterone levels are lowered.

“It leaves behind a significant portion of what gives males sporting performance advantages over females.”

Bored Panda has contacted Blaire for comment.

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