October 17, 2024, 8:24 PM ET
LAS VEGAS — Mountain West Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said Thursday that the women’s volleyball team’s decision to withdraw to avoid a matchup with San Jose State is “not something we celebrate in college athletics.” “No,” he said, adding that he was heartbroken by what happened this season. Surrounding the Spartans and their enemies.
Four teams — Boise State, Southern Utah, Utah State and Wyoming — canceled games against San Jose State, but none of the schools gave a clear reason for their withdrawal.
Nevada’s players released a statement saying they will not be on the court when the Wolfpack was scheduled to play the Spartans on Oct. 26. The players cited their “right to safety and fair competition,” and their schools reaffirmed their “right to safety and fair competition” on Thursday. The game is still planned, and state law prohibits revocations for “reasons related to gender identity or expression.”
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All of these schools except Southern Utah are in the Mountain West. New Mexico, also in the MWC, had a home game scheduled for Thursday night against the Spartans.
“I’m a human being on both sides of this issue, a young man, a student-athlete, who’s received negative attention nationally,” Nevarez said in an interview with The Associated Press at Mountain West Basketball Media Day. That’s why my heart hurts,” he said. . “That doesn’t seem right to me.”
Republican governors in Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming issued public statements supporting the cancellation, citing the need for fairness in women’s sports. Former President Donald Trump, a Republican candidate for this year’s presidential election, mentioned the unidentified volleyball game during a Fox News town hall this week when asked about transgender athletes in women’s sports.
Before being asked what he could do, President Trump said, “I saw a slam, it was a slam. I’ve never seen a ball hit so hard and hit a girl in the head.” answered. “You just ban it. The president bans it. You just make sure it doesn’t happen.”
In response to Trump’s comments, San Diego State said, “During a game against San Diego State University, it was incorrectly reported that a San Diego State University student-athlete was hit in the face with a volleyball. The ball bounced off his shoulder.” issued a statement. Although it was a student-athlete injury, the athlete was not injured and did not miss a play. ”
San Jose State did not comment directly on politicians’ references to “impartiality,” and Nevarez did not go into details.
“I’m learning a lot about this issue,” Nevarez said. “I still don’t know much about the language, the science, or the national understanding of how this issue will play out. There are outside influences on both sides right now. It’s political, so yeah, that’s what it is.” Given the external pressures, it feels like there’s no chance. ”
The cancellation could prevent some teams from qualifying for the conference tournament to be held in Las Vegas from Nov. 27-30, where the top six schools will compete for the league championship.
“The student-athletes (in question) meet the eligibility criteria, so if the team does not play them, they will be disqualified, which means they will incur a loss,” Nevarez said.
