Utah State is the latest to cancel its volleyball game against San Jose State

LOGAN — On Wednesday, Utah State University became the latest team to cancel a women's volleyball game against a San Jose State team that reportedly features a transgender athlete.

Utah State announced it would “not participate” in a scheduled Oct. 23 game against San Jose State, although no official reason was given for the cancellation. The university said it would “adhere to Mountain West Conference policies regarding the taping of this game,” which would mean both a loss and a loss.

The Aggies are the fourth team to cancel a game against San Jose State, joining Southern Utah, which became the first team to cancel its game on Sept. 14, as well as Boise State and Wyoming. However, the game still appears on the team's website as a scheduled meeting.

Blaire Fleming, who is presumed to be a transgender woman based on a lawsuit filed by a former teammate, is a member of the San Jose State team and has been at the center of other schools' game 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 participation in competition,” the university said in a statement. “We are committed to supporting our student-athletes in overcoming these challenges and in their ability to compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment.”

Utah Governor Spencer Cox made the comments on the social media platform on Wednesday

“It is important that we create space for women to compete fairly and safely,” he added. “Our female athletes must confront this difficult issue because the NCAA has failed in its responsibility to protect female athletes and women’s sports. It’s time for the NCAA to take this seriously and protect our student-athletes.”

The NCAA recently changed its guidelines, modeled after the “Olympic Movement,” to require transgender athletes to provide documentation that meets various NCAA guidelines before competition, including “documented testosterone levels.”

Although Utah State canceled its game against San Jose State, the Aggies have played the Spartans four other times in the last two seasons Fleming has been on the court, including the most recent meeting on November 9, 2023, where the Aggies defeated the Spartans in three sets.

Fleming had a team-high seven kills and hit .095 in the loss.

Utah State played San Jose State three times in 2022, including a Mountain West Conference tournament game on Nov. 25, with Fleming appearing in all three games in which Utah State held a 2-1 record against San Jose State this season.

In Wyoming, the university was reportedly pressured by political leaders to cancel the game scheduled for Oct. 5. The university ultimately decided to abandon the game, despite initially agreeing to continue it, after meeting with the volleyball team as an athletic department to review any potential “safety concerns.”

According to the Cowboy State Daily, a university spokesperson told them, “No student-athletes expressed concerns about their safety.”