San Jose State University has acknowledged a recent mass exodus of volleyball players who entered the transfer portal after a controversy-plagued season involving a trans athlete on the team.
The university provided a statement to Pak Gazette Digital expressing “respect” for the recent wave of players who chose to transfer. “Student-athletes have the ability to make decisions about their college athletic 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 detailing the San Jose State University Spartans’ transgender athlete scandal, the New York Times referred to the team’s biological athletes as “non-transgender women.” (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The seven players who are transferring will leave the team after a season that included eight lost games, regular police protection, national scrutiny and internal turmoil among players and coaches. One player even received threats of physical harm amid the controversy.
Head coach Todd Kress even talked about how the 2024 season was one of the “most difficult” of his life after the team’s conference finals loss to Colorado State, in a statement provided to Pak Gazette Digital.
“This has been one of the most difficult seasons I have ever experienced, and I know this is also true for many of our players and the staff who have been supporting us all along. Maintaining our focus on the pitch and ensuring overall quality “The safety and well-being of my players amidst the external noise have been my priorities,” Kress said.
Transgender player Blaire Fleming is out of eligibility after completing a fourth varsity season in 2024. The team’s season ended in the Mountain West Conference championship game after advancing to the title game by virtue of a forfeit. Boise State in the semifinal round. . Boise State previously lost two regular-season games to San Jose State amid the controversy involving Fleming, accounting for three of its seven conference wins by forfeit this year.
A loss to Colorado State in the conference finals ended the season and prevented controversy from creeping into the NCAA tournament. The loss effectively ended Fleming’s college career.
In September, co-captain Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit against the NCAA alleging that the program withheld knowledge about Fleming’s birth sex from her and other players on the team. Slusser alleged that she was forced to share changing and sleeping spaces 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, alleging they were passed over for scholarships in favor of Fleming.
That lawsuit also alleges that San Jose State players discussed an alleged plan by Fleming to have Slusser hit in the face with a volleyball in a game against Colorado State on Oct. 3. Slusser was not hit in the face in that game, and a Mountain West investigation concluded without finding sufficient evidence of the alleged plot.
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Assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose was suspended by the program in early November after she filed a Title IX complaint against the university for showing favoritism toward Fleming over other players, especially Slusser. Batie-Smoose’s complaint also included allegations that Fleming plotted to have a nail driven into Slusser’s face.
Slusser previously told Pak Gazette Digital that Batie-Smoose’s firing severely affected team morale.
“After we found out she had been released, a lot of the team broke down and got a little scared, and even one of my teammates said, ‘I don’t feel safe anymore,’ because there’s no one there.” now that we feel like we can go and talk about our concerns or our real feelings and we can talk freely in front of ourselves,” Slusser said.
Slusser added that she and other players lost trust in coaches, including head coach Kress.
“You can’t really express how you feel without them just trying to cover it up or act like everything is okay. With Melissa, you could express how you felt, and she could comfort you and validate your feelings and at least make you feel better.” you feel heard compared to the other coaches,” Slusser said.
Kress also blamed the team that lost for sparking a backlash against his team, as each loss generated more controversy and media attention.
San Jose State Spartans players watch before the game against the Air Force Falcons on Falcon Court in East Gym on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
“Unfortunately, others who for years have played this same team without incident decided not to play us this season. To be clear, we did not celebrate a single losing victory. Instead, we prepared for the consequences. Each loss announcement triggered “appalling, hateful messages that individuals chose to send 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 in what was their final trip as the San Jose State Spartans for most of them.
Slusser previously told Pak Gazette 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 team Thanksgiving meal at the team hotel with takeout from a local restaurant with many of their families.
However, that was not enough to keep the seven players who entered the transfer portal attached to the program, as the team will face a major roster change as it looks to rebound on the court and in its reputation in 2025.
