Boise State withdraws from Mountain West volleyball tournament rather than play San Jose State

This story has been updated.
Boise State women’s volleyball team announced Wednesday night they were withdrawing from the Mountain West championship tournament on Thursday rather than face San Jose State, the team at the center of an ongoing conflict over the conference’s policy on transgender athletes.
Boise State beat Utah State 3-1 on Wednesday, eliminating the Aggies from the tournament. Both teams were among the five to forfeit to San Jose State during the regular season over an SJSU player, who teammates say is transgender.
Boise State released a statement that said: “The decision to not continue to play in the 2024 Mountain West Volleyball Championship tournament was not an easy one. Our team overcame forfeitures to earn a spot in the tournament field and fought for the win over Utah State in the first round on Wednesday. They should not have to forgo this opportunity while waiting for a more thoughtful and better system that serves all athletes.”
A coach and several players, including one from Utah State and another from SJSU, brought a lawsuit against the Mountain West conference that aimed to prevent SJSU’s player from taking part in this week’s volleyball championship.
But on Monday, a federal judge ruled in favor of the Mountain West, saying that the tournament could proceed as planned. That decision was upheld Tuesday by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Those rulings were significant not just to the broader debate over transgender athletes, but also to the teams that had forfeited games against SJSU during the regular season, including Boise State and Utah State. SJSU will now face either top-seeded Colorado State or San Diego State in the title match, according to The Associated Press.
Ahead of Wednesday’s game, leaders at Boise State and Utah State were asked by the AP whether they’d forfeit Friday’s game if they advanced.
A Boise State spokesman wouldn’t comment, while a Utah State spokesman said the school was reviewing this week’s ruling and staying focused on Wednesday’s game.
The Utah State player who joined the lawsuit later told KSL that the team hadn’t yet decided about the potential forfeit but planned to stay united.
The Mountain West has said that forfeits in the conference tournament will be treated as losses, just as they were during the regular season.
In the ongoing legal battle and in media interviews, the Mountain West and San Jose State have maintained that all San Jose State players are eligible to compete. The school has not publicly confirmed that there’s a transgender player on the team.
Contributing: Suzanne Bates