October 17th 2024.
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez expressed her disappointment over the ongoing controversy surrounding San Jose State's volleyball team. Despite being scheduled to play against four other teams, including Boise State, Southern Utah, Utah State, and Wyoming, the Spartans have faced multiple cancellations. This has caused a stir in the college athletics community, with some teams citing safety concerns and others alluding to gender identity as the reason for their decision.
Nevarez, who is attending the Mountain West basketball media days in Las Vegas, shared her thoughts on the matter, stating that she is heartbroken for both San Jose State and their opponents. She believes that the student-athletes are at the center of this issue and should not be subjected to negative attention on a national level. It is clear that this situation is not something that Nevarez celebrates in college athletics.
One of the teams that has chosen to forfeit their game against San Jose State is the University of Nevada. In a statement released by a group of players, they stated that they will not take the floor when they are scheduled to host the Spartans on October 26th. Their reasons for this decision include their right to safety and fair competition. However, the university has reaffirmed that the match is still planned to take place and that according to state law, forfeits cannot be made for reasons related to gender identity or expression.
Interestingly, all the schools that have canceled their games, except for Southern Utah, are in the Mountain West Conference. On the other hand, New Mexico, which is also in the MWC, went ahead with their match against San Jose State on Thursday night. The Spartans managed to secure a 3-1 victory, their first win since September 24th. This has only added to the complexity of the situation.
Nevarez expressed her concerns about how this issue has received a lot of external influences from both sides. With an election year, there is a lot of political pressure surrounding this topic, making it a difficult situation to navigate. The commissioner also admitted that she is still learning about the issue and does not have a full understanding of the language and science behind it.
The recent comments made by Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming have only added fuel to the fire. They have publicly supported the cancellations, citing a need for fairness in women's sports. Even former President Donald Trump, during a Fox News town hall, referenced an unidentified volleyball match when asked about transgender athletes in women's sports. He suggested that the solution is to simply ban it.
However, San Diego State has released a statement clarifying that the incident involving a San Diego State University student-athlete being hit in the face with a volleyball during a match with San Jose State University was incorrectly reported. The athlete was only hit on the shoulder and was not injured.
Despite all the external pressure, Nevarez remains focused on the well-being of the student-athletes. She understands that these cancellations could potentially affect the teams' chances of qualifying for the conference tournament in November. As of now, the top six schools are still slated to compete for the league championship, but if more games are forfeited, this could change.
In the end, Nevarez reiterated that according to the eligibility standards, any team that does not play against San Jose State will have to take a loss. This could have a significant impact on their standings in the conference. As for the upcoming match between San Jose State and Nevada, the university has released a statement stating that a majority of the Wolf Pack women's volleyball team has decided to forfeit. However, no player will face any punishment if they choose not to play.
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