San Jose State University has acknowledged a recent mass exodus of volleyball players entering the transfer portal after a controversial season with a transathlete on the team.
The university issued a statement to Fox News Digital expressing “respect” for the recent wave of players who have chosen to switch. “Student athletes have the ability to make decisions about their college athletics careers, and we have the utmost respect for that,” the statement said.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that seven of the team’s players have entered the transfer portal.
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In an article about the San Jose State University Spartans’ transgender athlete scandal, the New York Times referred to the biological female athletes on the team as “non-transgender women.” (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The seven players transferring will leave the team after a season that included eight forfeited games, regular police protection, national scrutiny and internal unrest between players and coaches. One player even received threat of physical harm amid the controversy.
Head coach Todd Kress even spoke about how the 2024 season was one of the “toughest” of his life after the team’s loss in the conference finals to Colorado State, in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“This has been one of the most difficult seasons I have ever experienced, and I know it is also true for many of our players and staff who have supported us throughout. Maintaining our focus on the field and ensuring overall safety The safety and well-being of my players amid the external noise have been my priorities,” said Kress.
Transgender player, Blaire Fleming, will no longer be eligible after completing a fourth collegiate season in 2024. The team’s season ended in the Mountain West Conference championship game after advancing to the title game due to a forfeit to Boise State in the semi-final. . Boise State previously forfeited two regular-season games against San Jose State due to the Fleming controversy, accounting for three of its seven conference wins this year via forfeit.
A loss to Colorado State in the conference finals ended the season and prevented the controversy from filtering into the NCAA tournament. The loss effectively ended Fleming’s collegiate career.
In September, co-captain Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit against the NCAA, alleging that the program withheld knowledge of Fleming’s birth gender from her and other players on the team. Slusser claimed that she had to share changing and sleeping areas with Fleming without knowing that Fleming was a biological male.
Slusser, along with several other Mountain West players, filed a separate lawsuit against the conference and San Jose State in November over Fleming’s presence. That lawsuit included testimony from former San Jose State volleyball players Alyssa Sugai and Elle Patterson, who claimed they were passed over for scholarships in favor of Fleming.
That lawsuit also alleges that San Jose State players spoke out about an alleged plan by Fleming to jab Slusser in the face with a volleyball in a game against Colorado State on Oct. 3. Slusser was not given a punt in that match, and an investigation by the Mountain West was closed without finding sufficient evidence of the alleged plot.
Assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose was suspended by the program in early November after filing a Title IX complaint against the university for favoritism toward Fleming over the other players, especially Slusser. Batie-Smoose’s complaint also included allegations of Fleming’s plot to have Slusser stabbed in the face.
Slusser earlier told Fox News Digital that Batie-Smoose’s dismissal had serious consequences for the team’s morale.
“After we found out she was released, a lot of the team broke down and panicked, and even one of my teammates said, ‘I don’t feel safe anymore,’ because no one is there.” now that we feel like we can start talking about our concerns or our real feelings and actually speak freely in front of them,” Slusser said.
Slusser added that she and other players lost confidence in the coaches, including head coach Kress.
“You can’t really express how you feel without them just trying to cover it up or pretend that it’s all okay. With Melissa you can express how you feel, and she can comfort you and validate your feelings and be least confirm your feelings.” you feel heard compared to the other coaches,” said Slusser.
Kress also blamed the forfeiting team for fomenting opposition to his team, as each forfeit brought more controversy and media attention.
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San Jose State Spartans players watch prior to the game against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Court at East Gym on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
“Unfortunately, others who have played the same team for years without incident have chosen not to play against us this season. To be clear, we have not celebrated any victories by forfeit. Instead, we have braced ourselves for the consequences. Every forfeit announcement unleashed terrible, hateful messages that people sent directly to our student-athletes, our coaching staff and many associated with our program.”
However, these issues didn’t stop the players from at least having some fun on what was for most of them their final road trip as San Jose State Spartans.
Slusser earlier told Fox News Digital that the team went to a magic show together when they traveled to Las Vegas for the Mountain West tournament, and even had a Thanksgiving team meal together at the team hotel with takeout from a local restaurant with many of their families.
However, that wasn’t enough to keep the seven players who entered the transfer portal committed to the program, as the team will face major roster turnover as it looks to rebound on the field and in its reputation in 2025.
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