"7 illegitimate wins on their record"- Riley Gaines reacts as teams continue to boycott matches against SJSU amid transgender athlete controversy

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Nov 10, 2024 01:41 GMT

Riley Gaines came out in support of the University of Wyoming over their decision to boycott their next match against the San Jose State University's women's volleyball team over the presence of Blaire Fleming, who is reportedly a transgender athlete. This is the second time that the University of Wyoming has forfeited their match against the San Jose State Spartans.

Gaines took to her X handle [formerly Twitter] to express her thoughts. She posted,

"The University of Wyoming has forfeited a second match against SJSU. Good—keep holding the line! This means SJSU now has 7 illegitimate wins on their record due to other teams forfeiting."

University of Wyoming is not the only team that has boycotted their Mountain West Conference match against the San Jose State University for the second consecutive time. Previously, it was the Boise State University who had done the same.

Apart from the above, educational institutions like the University of Utah, the Southern Utah University, and the University of Nevada have also boycotted their matches against the San Jose State University.

Riley Gaines has been persistently campaigning to keep transgender individuals out of the women's sports. She had first gained limelight in 2022 for her protests against the transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who was prioritized over her for fifth position at the NCAA Championships.

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Riley Gaines' campaign against the San Jose State University

Riley Gaines' campaign against the San Jose State University [Image Source : Getty]

Riley Gaines has been supportive of the boycott campaign against the San Jose State University since the very beginning. She has also supported Melissa Batie-Smoose, the former assistant coach of the San Jose State Spartans, and Brooke Slusser, who spoke out against the presence of Blaire Fleming.

Five educational institutions have boycotted their match against the women's volleyball team over the presence of Blaire Fleming. However, instead of addressing the concerns, not only did the San Jose State University suspend the assistant coach Smoose for speaking out against Fleming, they also demanded compensation for the losses incurred by the canceled matches.

Gaines spoke on this and said:

"According to emails obtained by @Outkick, SJSU requested compensation from BSU & USU for “harming their institution’s brand” after they forfeited their match. Hey @SJSU, the man on your team harmed your brand—not the girls who prioritized their safety."

Previously on November 3, Gaines had criticized the San Jose State University for suspending Melissa Batie-Smoose. She posted on her X handle,

"Yesterday, the SJSU assistant women’s volleyball coach filed a Title IX complaint against her university for allowing a man to play on the women’s team.Today, she was suspended, effective immediately.This is how they get people to comply—through force."

Apart from her campaign against the San Jose State University, Riley Gaines is also fighting a legal battle against the NCAA alongside 15 other athletes. Gaines filed the lawsuit against NCAA for deliberately imposing the transgender players in the women's sports.