Idaho’s governor praised Boise State’s decision to cancel a women’s volleyball match against a team that featured a transgender player

Idaho Gov. Brad Little praised Boise State for withdrawing from Saturday’s game against San Jose State University amid controversy surrounding a transgender member of the women’s volleyball team.

Boise State Athletics confirmed the decision in a statement Saturday. The university did not provide an explanation for the forfeiture.

“Boise State volleyball will not play its scheduled match at San Jose Stadium on Saturday, September 28,” the statement read. “In accordance with Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the game as a forfeit and a loss for Boise State. The Broncos next game will be against Air Force on October 3.

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The Republican governor, who recently signed an executive order directing the State Board of Education to ensure integrity is protected in women’s sports, released a statement praising the decision.

“I applaud @BoiseState for working within the spirit of my executive order, the Defending Women’s Sports Act,” his post on X reads. “We must ensure the safety of all our athletes and continue the fight for fairness in women’s sports.”

Boise State is the second school to opt out of playing against SJSU due to controversy surrounding a member of the women’s volleyball team.

Blaire Fleming, a redshirt senior at San Jose State University, plays on the women’s volleyball team as an outside hitter and right wing. Fleming, a transgender athlete, has played three seasons at SJSU after previously playing at Coastal Carolina.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL BOISE STATE WILL MISS UPCOMING MATCH AGAINST SJSU DUE TO CONTROVERSY AROUND TRANS PLAYERS

Earlier this week, one of Fleming’s teammates joined several other players in suing the NCAA for Title IX violations.

According to the complaint, Brooke Slusser claimed she was unaware that Fleming was transgender, even though she shared rooms during team trips. Slusser also expressed concerns about the safety of opponents playing against Fleming.

“Brooke estimated that Fleming’s spikes reached speeds of over 80 miles per hour, which was faster than she had ever seen a woman hit a volleyball,” reads Slusser’s complaint via the Cowboy State Daily. “The girls did everything they could to avoid Fleming’s spikes, but they were still unable to fully protect themselves.”

“One thing that is important in this case is physical safety issues in volleyball,” Slusser’s attorney, Bill Bock, told OutKick. “And that’s what they face every day in practice. So this is simply a crazy and wrong policy that steals women’s sporting dreams and gives them to men, while at the same time putting women’s health and safety at risk.”

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Payton McNabb, a former high school volleyball player in North Carolina, is one of the most outspoken people in the sport about transgender athletes.

In September 2022, McNabb was injured during a high school volleyball game when a transgender athlete on the opposing team hit the volleyball and hit her in the face, causing her to fall backwards and suffer a concussion and neck injury.

He continues to suffer from long-term physical and mental injuries caused by this event.

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