Boise State should explain forfeits to volleyball team with transgender athlete | Opinion

Boise State University quietly announced last week that it would forfeit yet another volleyball match against San Jose State.

Why?

Boise State won’t specifically say, although the answer seems clear.

“Boise State volleyball will not play its scheduled hom match on Thursday, Nov. 21, against San Jose State,” according to an announcement posted on its website at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1. “Per Mountain West Conference policy, the Conference will record the match as a forfeit for Boise State.”

Ostensibly, the reason is San Jose State has a transgender player on the team, but Boise State hasn’t confirmed that’s the reason.

This is the second time Boise State forfeited a match against the Spartans, the first time coming in September, as reported by the Idaho Statesman’s Shaun Goodwin.

At the time, Boise State officials wouldn’t comment on the forfeiture, and San Jose State said it would not comment specifically on a student-athlete’s gender identity.

But Idaho Gov. Brad Little made a social media post applauding Boise State “for working within the spirit of my Executive Order, the Defending Women’s Sports Act,” which banned transgender women from competing in women’s sports.

In addition, a San Jose State volleyball player joined a lawsuit against the NCAA, claiming a teammate was transgender.

We’re willing to have a debate on whether transgender athletes should be banned from women’s sports, which sports and under what conditions.

But with Boise State forfeiting its games without giving reasons, and the process that went into the decisions, the university is simply dodging that discussion.

Like the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the updated NCAA policy calls for transgender student-athlete participation for each sport to be determined by the policy for the national governing body of that sport.

U.S. Volleyball requires that transgender athletes provide documentation of their transition.

Boise State may be out of line on this, as officials have offered no evidence that the San Jose State athlete has failed in any compliance. That school said in September after Boise State and other schools had opted not to play matches that it was “operating our program under the regulations of both the NCAA and the Mountain West, and our student-athletes are in full compliance.”

In his statement, Little said, “We need to ensure player safety for all of our female athletes and continue the fight for fairness in women’s sports.”

Is that the position of Boise State University? Is that the reasoning? Was it what the players wanted? Did the team have a vote? Was it the coach’s call? The administration’s?

We just don’t know.

It’s in very bad form on the university’s part not to spell out exactly what went into this decision. Boise State should state its case clearly as to why it is depriving the team the chance to play against San Jose State. The forfeits could wind up costing the Broncos a shot at making the Mountain West tournament, because only the top six teams qualify.

If Boise State officials want to argue that there’s something unfair about this San Jose State competing, they should make their case.

If they have evidence that the transgender athlete has failed to meet NCAA requirements, they need to state that.

Or is it just a matter of discrimination, fear and bigotry?

Whatever the reasoning, Boise State needs to quit hiding behind cowardly, vague statements and state its position clearly.

Otherwise, let the team compete.