LAS VEGAS — The University of Nevada, Reno, and San Jose State have agreed to move their controversial volleyball match from Reno to Northern California.
The decision was announced Tuesday after UNR said it wouldn’t cancel Saturday’s home match despite Wolf Pack players releasing a statement saying they would forfeit in protest against the participation of transgender athletes in sports.
UNR previously said that state and federal laws prevented the university from closing its doors and not preparing for the match.
The Mountain West approved the change of venue, both universities said in a joint statement.
“The decision to move the location of the match has been made in the best interest of both programs and the well-being of the student-athletes, coaches, athletic staff and spectators,” the schools said.
Representatives for San Jose State and UNR declined to comment further, though the move seems to have been made in an attempt to shield each team from potential protests and political displays.
The development is another sign that the match is unlikely to take place. Based on the UNR players’ statement, San Jose State would have been traveling for no reason, an expense for which UNR could have been held financially liable.
Wolf Pack captain Sia Liilii has told reporters that none of the players would compete in the match. UNR would need at least six players to field a team.
Several UNR players have hired conservative attorney Joey Gilbert, whose firm is reportedly considering suing the university. Gilbert did not reply to a request for comment. UNR is not making its players or coaches available for interviews.
UNR is scheduled to play at Fresno State on Thursday and would need to alert San Jose State of its plans between then and Saturday.
Spartans co-captain Brooke Slusser joined a lawsuit against the NCAA’s inclusion rules in September, contributing to the current scrutiny surrounding the team. The filing said Slusser no longer wants senior Blaire Fleming on the team on the allegation that she is transgender.
Four schools have forfeited games to San Jose State (11-3, 6-3 MW), a phenomenon that hadn’t taken place before this season. The canceled games count as wins for seeding purposes for the conference tournament, scheduled for Nov. 27 to 30 at UNLV’s Cox Pavilion.
Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez said last week the biggest challenge of the national attention surrounding volleyball in the conference is that “there are human beings on both sides of this.”
UNLV voted unanimously to play all of its scheduled matches, including the ones against San Jose State. The Rebels went on the road and beat the Spartans on Oct. 12 and will play them again Nov. 7 at Cox Pavilion.