Macey Boggs, a former University of Wyoming women's volleyball player, said her team's decision to forfeit two scheduled matches against San Jose State University in 2024 caused lasting rifts among teammates. The Spartans' roster included transgender athlete Blaire Fleming, sparking controversy in the Mountain West Conference.[1]
The Wyoming Cowgirls were set to play San Jose State on October 11 and October 25, 2024. Boggs told Fox News Digital that players learned of Fleming's biological male status in spring 2024, leading to tense locker room discussions ahead of the matches. An anonymous player vote favored playing, but a group including Boggs refused to participate.[2][3]
Wyoming Athletic Director Tom Burman announced the forfeits on October 4, 2024, stating the decision was made by university leadership amid team divisions. "The situation was very divisive, and our student-athletes, coaches and university leaders were in a difficult situation," Wyoming Athletics said in a statement. The forfeits were recorded as losses.[4]
Utah State was the first Mountain West team to forfeit against San Jose State, on September 26, 2024. Five conference teams ultimately forfeited matches that season. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon supported the decision, saying it upheld "integrity and fairness in female athletics."[5][6]
The Cowgirls finished the 2024 season 17-13 overall and 10-6 in conference play, placing seventh and missing the Mountain West tournament by two wins. Boggs, a senior, said the forfeits impacted playoff chances and strained senior-year goals.[7]
In November 2024, Boggs and teammates Sierra Grizzle and Jordan Sandy joined a lawsuit filed by former San Jose State player Brooke Slusser against the Mountain West Conference, San Jose State, and the California State University system, alleging Title IX violations. U.S. District Judge S. Kato Crews partially dismissed the case on March 7, 2025, dropping claims against the conference but allowing Title IX claims against San Jose State and CSU to proceed pending related rulings.[8][9]
Separately, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights found in February 2025 that San Jose State violated Title IX in its handling of Fleming. The university and CSU system sued to challenge the findings. On March 11, 2025, Education Secretary Linda McMahon issued a 10-day compliance deadline, warning of potential funding cuts.[10][11]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "Former University of Wyoming volleyball star Macey Boggs opened up about...", March 20, 2025, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/former-wyoming-volleyball-star-macey-boggs-opens-up-team-torn-apart-over-sjsu-forfeit
- GoWyo.com, "2024 Women's Volleyball Schedule", accessed March 2025, https://gowyo.com/sports/womens-volleyball/schedule/2024
- Mountain West Conference, "2024 Volleyball Schedule", accessed March 2025, https://mountainwest.org/sports/wvball/schedule
- GoWyo.com, "Wyoming Announces Forfeit of Volleyball Matches Against San José State", October 4, 2024, https://gowyo.com/news/2024/10/4/wyoming-announces-forfeit-of-volleyball-matches-against-san-jose-state.aspx
- ESPN.com, "Utah State forfeits volleyball match to San Jose State over transgender athlete", September 26, 2024, https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/41752279/utah-state-forfeit-volleyball-match-san-jose-state-transgender-athlete
- Office of the Governor, State of Wyoming, "Gov. Gordon Statement on UW Athletics Forfeit Decision", October 4, 2024, https://governor.wyo.gov/press-releases/gov-gordon-statement-on-uw-athletics-forfeit-decision
- GoWyo.com, "2024 Women's Volleyball Statistics", accessed March 2025, https://gowyo.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2024
- CourtListener, "Slusser et al v. Mountain West Conference et al, Case 3:24-cv-01794", Docket entry March 7, 2025, https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68649207/slusser-v-mountain-west-conference/
- Reuters, "US judge partially dismisses lawsuit over trans athlete in college volleyball", March 8, 2025, https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-judge-partially-dismisses-lawsuit-over-trans-athlete-college-volleyball-2025-03-08/
- U.S. Department of Education, "OCR Finds San José State University in Violation of Title IX", February 27, 2025, https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/ocr-finds-san-jose-state-university-violation-title-ix
- Fox News, "Education Secretary McMahon gives SJSU 10-day deadline on Title IX compliance", March 11, 2025, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/education-sec-mcmahon-gives-sjsu-deadline-title-ix
