The Wyoming volleyball team has forfeited its game scheduled for Saturday against San Jose State, becoming the third team to do so this season as debate about transgender people in women’s sports swirling around the Spartans.
“After a lengthy discussion, the University of Wyoming will not play its scheduled conference game against San José State University at the UniWyo Sports Complex on Saturday, October 5,” a statement posted on the Wyoming athletics website read.
The school did not say why it forfeited the game, but San Jose State player Brooke Slusser said in a lawsuit she joined earlier this month that she has a transgender teammate who, she argued, has physical advantages over other female athletes. This news organization is not identifying the player named in the lawsuit.
Southern Utah and Boise State both lost games to the Spartans last month for no reason.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon was supportive the university’s decision in a post on Twitter/X: “I fully support the decision by @wyoathletics to forfeit their volleyball game against San Jose State. It is important that we stand for integrity and fairness in women’s athletics.”
Michelle Smith McDonald, San Jose State’s senior director of media relations, said last weekend that the school would not comment on the gender identity of any students, citing federal privacy protections.
“We operate our program under the rules of both the NCAA and the Mountain West Conference. Our student-athletes fully comply with NCAA rules and regulations,” McDonald said in a statement.
The Spartans (9-0, 2-0 Mountain West) are scheduled to play at Colorado State on Thursday, and currently future games against Wyoming and Boise State are still on the conference schedule.
Sierra Lopez and Christian Babcock contributed to this story.