Sports

'It was 10 seconds of stupidity': Inside the education course for football's banned fans

Published

2 years ago

May 1, 2024

'It was 10 seconds of stupidity': Inside the education course for football's banned fans

His team were drawing 1-1 at the time. It was late in the game, under the floodlights, when they missed a chance to take the lead.

And that was the moment, Tony, a Sheffield United fan, lost his temper and shouted something at Matt Turner, the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper, that he would never be able to take back.

“We’d just had a shot that had gone wide. The goalkeeper went to pick up the ball from behind the goal and he made a little gesture to the away fans. Nothing bad, nothing that should have upset me, but I lost my cool for 10 seconds. I started shouting, ‘Get on with it, you f—–.’

“It was 10 seconds of stupidity. There were two people in front of me who turned round straight away and said, ‘You shouldn’t be shouting that, you shouldn’t be saying that.’ I knew they were right. ‘I know,’ I said, ‘I’m sorry.’ I knew it was wrong and that I could end up in trouble for it.”

The next day, Tony, who is in his 50s, was reported by his fellow Sheffield United fans. They had the number of his seat at Forest’s City Ground that day and a description of what he looked like. The club got in touch and he accepted straight away that he was guilty of homophobic abuse.

A letter arrived to inform him he was banned from Bramall Lane, pending an investigation, and he was summoned to a police station to determine whether he should face a criminal charge — or if there was another way to deal with it.

All of this brought Tony to the attention of Kick It Out, English football’s largest anti-discrimination organisation, and led to him being referred to a fan education workshop as a form of out-of-court restorative justice.

Matt Turner was the target of ‘Tony’s’ homophobic insult. (Michael Regan / Getty Images)

Tony is not the fan’s real name. He does not want to be identified because of the impact the publicity would have on his family but he has agreed to become the first perpetrator from Kick it Out’s anti-discrimination programme to speak about how it works, what he learnt and the importance of educating offenders that their actions have consequences.

“I didn’t realise Kick It Out had been running since the 1990s,” he says. “I thought it was a new thing and dealt only with racism. Until now, I’d never really thought about other kinds of discrimination. I was never wise to it. But I realise now that I needed to be educated. I’ve learnt my lesson, but I’ve also learnt a lot more.”

We are meeting in Sheffield and, early on, Tony bends down to show something to Alan Bush, Kick It Out’s fan education and engagement manager.

“Have a look at this,” he says, in a broad Sheffield accent.

He pulls up his trouser leg and reveals he is wearing a pair of rainbow socks.

“They were a present. That is one of the daftest things about what I did. My daughter is gay. My stepdaughter, too. They got me the socks for Christmas.”

He met Bush for the first time last September, four weeks after the game at Forest that led to the police becoming involved.

It was a two-hour workshop at the City Ground, Forest’s stadium, and Tony made it clear from the start that he was there to listen and learn.

Bush took him through the various forms of discrimination that pollute the game and talked, in detail, about the impact a hate crime can have on victims.

Bush explained the story about a Tottenham Hotspur supporter who was predominantly involved with the Proud Lilywhites LGBTQ fan group and stopped going to matches because of the homophobic chants.

Using a slide show, he and Tony talked about the racist abuse suffered by England internationals Jadon Sancho, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford, as well as the experiences of Blackpool’s Jake Daniels and the late Justin Fashanu as gay footballers. They talked about the Rainbow Blades (Sheffield United’s LGBTQ group), why it needed to exist and how its members would feel if they heard one of the club’s supporters shouting homophobic abuse.

Sheffield United captain Oliver Norwood wearing a rainbow armband against Burnley this season. (Matt McNulty / Getty Images)

Then Bush explained the consequences for offenders, with the threat of court cases, prison sentences and travel bans.

“Throughout the session, (Tony) became more and more aware of his wrongdoing,” says Bush. “When we arrived at the hate crime legislation and consequences, he looked shocked at what could have been a different outcome for him, and how it could have changed his life.”

This is Bush’s specialist subject. Kick It Out’s referrals come from either the police or the football clubs and it is Bush’s job to meet offenders, one-on-one, and pass on his recommendations to the relevant clubs. In the last three years, he has delivered more than 200 sessions.

“The important thing to remember,” he tells Tony, “is that even though you’re calling it a moment of madness, it’s still a hate crime. It caused harassment, alarm or distress. As a result, you could end up in court and be banned from football. You could lose your job and all sorts of other consequences.”

It helps, undoubtedly, that Bush is deeply ingrained in football culture. He dresses like a fan, because that is exactly what he is. He has been going to Newcastle United, home and away, since the days of open terraces at St James’ Park. He is a big guy — cropped hair, Fred Perry shirt, old-school Adidas trainers — and it is easy to understand why your average man on the street would identify with him more easily than, say, a suited Premier League executive.

Nor does it require a long stay in Bush’s company to realise he cares deeply about his work. He has been trained in hate crime procedures and worked as an anti-social behaviour officer in London.

Alan Bush, who runs Kick It Out’s education course for banned fans. (Kick It Out)

“At the end of the session, he asked me what I was going to do when I was allowed to go to matches again,” says Tony. “I told him, ‘I will just sit there quietly and jump up when we score, which isn’t very often as a Sheffield United fan’.

“But Alan said, ‘I don’t want you to be like that, it’s OK to jump up and shout as much as you like, as long as it’s not racism, it’s not against disabled people, gender reassignment or religion and belief’. You realise that football isn’t just for white, straight men. It’s for everyone.”

Of all the people to go on Kick It Out’s rehabilitation workshop, Bush can recall only one occasion when he has found it difficult to get the message through to somebody — a man who had shouted an anti-Muslim term at an opposing player.

Only one person, a member of the England Supporters Travel Club, has reoffended. That person was banned from football for three years and, when that expires, Bush is likely to see him again. The vast majority of people, however, react more positively. Many offenders cannot explain why they have done what they have done.

In Tony’s case, it did not seem to matter on the night that the player he was abusing was straight. The slur was just an unthinking insult that he could have applied to any opponent at that moment. He had not been drinking and did not consider himself to be homophobic.

“He couldn’t give a specific answer for his actions,” says Bush. “He kept stating that it was stupidity, that he didn’t think and that maybe it was ‘banter.’ But he couldn’t settle on any real reason that sat comfortably with him. His main response was that his behaviour was wrong and he wished he could turn the clock back.”

He also got lucky, in one respect. The people who reported Tony did not want to go to court. “I had all that worry hanging over me,” he says. “Your name’s in the newspaper, your address is in the newspaper, you are banned from football (by the court) … you’re publicly humiliated.”

Instead, it is possible to find a shred of positivity from Tony’s story. If Kick It Out’s intention is to educate people and make football a better place, Tony shows it can be done.

Tony talks about passing on what he has learnt to the friends who sit beside him on Sheffield United’s Kop. He admitted what he had done and told them to make sure they never repeated his mistakes. This goes beyond football, too. “I work with gay people,” he says. “Before I went on this course, I would probably have said something to them as a bit of banter, but now I don’t. Because it’s not banter, is it? So I’ve taken it into my workplace, too.”

Bush’s conclusion was that the person sitting in front of him “didn’t need any prompting to show what appeared to be genuine remorse, understanding and empathy while undergoing his learning journey.”

“I sensed that (Tony) was honest with us when he spoke about how ashamed he was of his behaviour,” Bush says. “My gut feeling, from having looked into his eyes for just over two hours, was that he was really sorry for the hurt his words may have caused. On this occasion, the community resolution and out-of-court restorative approach was the right solution.”

Sheffield United fans fill out Bramall Lane. (Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images)

The sport, as a whole, could probably do with more specially trained experts who, like Bush, can pass on their knowledge in this area. This is, after all, a time when more and more people are heeding Kick It Out’s message to report discriminatory acts. Last season, there was a record number of 1,007 reports. The figures are still going up, which makes the role even more vital.

Tragedy chanting has also started to come under Bush’s remit and, though he is acutely aware of the need for punishment, his firmly held belief for all the different types of offending is that clubs should not issue lifetime bans. “I hate that term,” he says, “because there is no coming back from it.”

For the relevant people at Kick It Out, it is much better to educate offenders and make sure that, when those people are allowed back into stadiums, they have changed their mindset and have a much better understanding of what is acceptable and what is not.

Tony is the perfect example: a man who describes himself as “old-school” but also now says he is “appreciative of the underrepresented groups in today’s society and why it is important to be respectful”.

He has been allowed back into Bramall Lane after signing an ‘ABC’ — an Acceptable Behaviour Contract — and says he would like to meet the fans who reported him. He wants to apologise properly.

He also did something that nobody on the relevant Kick It Out course had done before: he emailed Bush the following day to ask if he could go back to see him again. And that, for Bush, has to be the sign of a job well done.

“Thank you for inviting me to the Kick It Out session,” it read. “I was keen to learn as much as possible from subject-matter experts such as yourself. I found the course very informative and a real eye-opener.

“I learnt a whole range of things, from the differences between misogyny and sexism to what is and what is not socially acceptable to say, shout or chant.

“I have taken away vast amounts of information and I am significantly more aware of the impact that comments can have on other people. I am, again, deeply apologetic for my ignorant words.”

(Top photo: Catherine Ivill / Getty Images)

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Sports

Italy win over Mexico sends Team USA to WBC quarterfinals

Published

7 hours ago

March 12, 2026

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Italy win over Mexico sends Team USA to WBC quarterfinals

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Team USA can breathe a sigh of relief, and they can thank Team Italy, the squad that put their World Baseball Classic hopes in limbo, after their win over Team Mexico on Tuesday night.

With Italy’s 9-1 victory at Daikin Park, they have won Pool B with a perfect 4-0 record and earned a spot in the WBC quarterfinals.

But Italy also ensured that Team USA’s run in the tournament continues despite handing the star-studded group a shocking 8-6 defeat on Monday night.

Vinnie Pasquantino of Italy hits a solo home run in the 6th inning against Mexico during the 2026 World Baseball Classic – Pool B at Daikin Park on March 11, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)

Team USA knew going into this game they would be big fans of Italy, one of the more surprising teams of the tournament thus far, but a thrill to watch. They have the fun espresso home run celebration, which has been used a ton including Tuesday night’s game, and a mixture of veterans and top prospects who have been giving their pool fits on the field.

However, Vinnie Pasquantino, the team’s captain who stars for the Kansas City Royals, came into this contest without a single hit through three games. Luckily for Italy – and indirectly the U.S. – his first three hits of the tournament were difference makers.

Pasquantino belted three solo home runs in the win, marking the first time in WBC history that a player went yard three times in a single game.

TEAM USA’S WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC HOPES TAKE MASSIVE HIT WITH ITALY UPSET

He got Team Italy on the board first in the top of the second, hitting a 342-foot blast to right field. Then, in the top of the sixth inning, he hit a towering shot that stayed fair down the right field line to take a free trip around the bases again.

As he stepped to the plate in the top of the eighth inning, Pasquantino, already two espresso shots deep after his first two longballs, got just enough to get it over the right-field fence one last time.

Jon Berti of the Italy reacts after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning against Mexico during the 2026 World Baseball Classic – Pool B at Daikin Park on March 11, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)

But, just like the other three games, there wasn’t only one Italy hitter showcasing his power. Jon Berti, who has had a great tournament thus far, made use of the Crawford boxes in left field, hitting one just far enough in the top of the fourth inning to extend Italy’s lead to 2-0.

Meanwhile, Mexico couldn’t get the bats going against veteran hurler Aaron Nola, the reliable Philadelphia Phillies starter who had his patented knuckle-curve working in Houston. He tossed five innings, allowing just four hits while striking out five over 69 pitches.

The game started to get away from Mexico, too, in the top of the fifth inning, when nine-hitter Dante Nori dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt that scored Pasquantino’s Royals teammate, Jac Caglianone, to make it a 3-0 game. Then, Miami Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee came in clutch with a two-out, bases-loaded single that scored two runners before he was picked off at first base to end the inning.

With a 7-0 lead, Mexico, facing desperation, saw some offensive life in the bottom of the seventh with bases loaded and no outs. But after Alek Thomas’ groundout to first, and Rowdy Tellez hitting a liner right at Pasquantino for the second out, Jarren Duran struck out as they were only able to get one run out of a potentially game-changing situation.

Vinnie Pasquantino of Italy runs the bases after hitting a home run in the sixth inning against Mexico during the 2026 World Baseball Classic between Italy and Mexico at Daikin Park on March 11, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

Pasquantino’s third home run flipped momentum right back to Team Italy, and they rode it into the final frame where they sealed victory.

As Italy soars into the quarterfinals, Mexico is eliminated as their players will head back to their respective big league camps to finish out spring training.

Team USA’s quarterfinal matchup will be against Team Canada, the winners of Pool A, at 8 p.m. ET in Daikin Park on March 13.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

Sports

High school baseball and softball: Wednesday’s scores

Published

7 hours ago

March 12, 2026

Press Room

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL, SOFTBALL SCORES
Wednesday’s Results

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION
Bell 4, San Pedro 0
Carson 7, Granada Hills 5
Chatsworth 1, Sylmar 0
East Valley 15, Panorama 4
Hollywood 12, RFK Community 4
LA Wilson 26, Contreras 0
Locke 22, Animo Venice 2
Monroe 3, Eagle Rock 1
Rancho Cucamonga 5, Huntington Park 0
San Fernando 9, Cleveland 5
SOCES 12, Northridge Academy 2
South Gate 22, Marquez 0

SOUTHERN SECTION
Alemany 6, Crespi 0
Arlington 5, Liberty 0
Arroyo 4, Rio Hondo Prep 0
Beckman 8, Tustin 0
Bellflower 12, Paramount 1
Beverly Hills 6, Shalhevet 0
Bonita 8, Santa Fe 0
Burbank Providence 14, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 1
Campbell Hall 21, Grant 1
Cantwell-Sacred Heart 8, Bishop Montgomery 6
Carpinteria 5, Nordhoff 4
Castaic 10, Saugus 9
Century 4, Laguna Hills 3
Chino Hills 16, Riverside Prep 7
Claremont 7, Charter Oak 4
Coachella Valley 6, Banning 5
Dana Hills 8, Great Oak 6
Desert Hot Springs 7, Desert Christian Academy 3
Eastvale Roosevelt 14, Patriot 0
El Rancho 4, Whittier 0
El Segundo 3, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 1
Elsinore 3, Maranatha Christian 2
Etiwanda 4, Rancho Cucamonga 1
Fullerton 19, Segerstrom 2
Glendora 4, Downey 1
Grace 10, Oak Park 0
Hart 15, Canyon Country Canyon 2
Harvard-Westlake 6, Sierra Canyon 0
Hemet 3, Canyon Springs 2
Highland 7, Palmdale 1
Hueneme 8, Fillmore 0
Huntington Beach 13, Edison 3
Irvine University 13, St. Margaret’s 0
Knight 10, Eastside 7
Lakeside 3, Orange Vista 2
Lakewood 14, Westminster 1
Lancaster 13, Antelope Valley 0
La Serna 12, California 2
La Sierra 11, San Gorgonio 0
Linfield Christian 5, Murrieta Valley 2
Long Beach Cabrillo 6, Bosco Tech 4
Long Beach Poly 7, Cerritos 6
Los Alamitos 9, Fountain Valley 5
Loyola 8, Chaminade 0
Miller 13, Norte Vista 4
Mira Costa 6, Torrance 4
Moreno Valley 14, Heritage 2
Murrieta Mesa 8, Fallbrook 4
Newport Beach 11, Marina 2
Nogales 5, Baldwin Park 4
Norco 3, Gahr 0
North Torrance 12, New Roads 3
Northwood 5, Irvine 3
Paloma Valley 7, Riverside Poly 6
Pioneer 14, El Monte 1
Quart Hill 17, Littlerock 0
Rancho Alamitos 20, Garden Grove Santiago 15
Rancho Christian 13, Hillcrest 0
Rancho Mirage 2, Beaumont 1
Rancho Verde 7, Riverside Notre Dame 2
Redlands Adventist 13, Desert Chapel 3
Riverside King 10, Riverside North 3
San Clemente 7, Vista Murrieta 3
Santa Monica 3, Newbury Park 1
Santa Paula 12, Malibu 1
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6, St. Francis 2
South Torrance 5, Peninsula 4
St. John Bosco 11, Damien 0
Sunny Hills 5, Orange 1
Thousand Oaks 11, Camarillo 1
Upland 5, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 1
Valley View 7, Citrus Hill 1
Vista del Lago 13, Perris 9
West Covina 15, Rosemead 5
West Ranch 15, Golden Valley 1
Woodbridge 3, Laguna Beach 2
Woodcrest Christian 11, Rialto 2

INTERSECTIONAL
Campbell Hall 21, Grant 1
United Christian Academy 14, Public Safety Academy
West Torrance 7, Venice 1

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION
Birmingham 25, SOCES 0
Eagle Rock 9, Cleveland 5
Fairfax 22, Contreras 21
Franklin 8, Orthopaedic 4
LA Wilson 18, Narbonne 10
Marquez 5, Port of LA 4
Middle College 33, Discovery 15
Newbury Park 17, Van Nuys 0
Sun Valley Poly 9, Taft 3
West Adams 17, RFK Community 2

SOUTHERN SECTION
Agoura 3, Oak Park 0
Arroyo 15, Rowland 12
Azusa 14, Garey 3
Baldwin Park 20, Nogales 8
Buena 30, Hueneme 1
Buena Park 14, Loara 4
Chaparral 19, Woodrest Christian 6
Claremont 7, Chino 3
Colony 23, Fontana 0
Colton 12, University Prep 0
Corona Santiago 17, San Dimas 16
CSDR 18, Indian Springs 17
Desert Hot Springs 18, Desert Christian Academy 8
Eastvale Roosevelt 8, Arlington 1
Flintridge Sacred Heart 7, Flintridge Prep 5
Glendora 10, Muir 2
Huntington Park 7, Gahr 3
Lakeside 29, California Military Institute 2
Lakewood 6, Hemet 3
Lawndale 33, Hoover 10
Los Osos 8, Northview 1
Lynwood 17, Animo Leadership 5
Maranatha 8, Culver City 6
Monrovia 15, West Covina 5
Ocean View 12, Westminster La Quinta 2
Orange 22, Godinez Fundamental 5
Pacific 14, Norte Vista 10
Paloma Valley 8, San Jacinto 0
Patriot 8, Canyon Springs 1
Peninsula 27, Beverly Hills 2
Rancho Cucamonga 30, Miller 1
Redondo Union 25, Long Beach Jordan 0
Riverside Poly 13, Orange Vista 3
RSCSM 28, Noli Indian 3
San Bernardino 12, Visa del Lago 2
San Juan Hills 3, Capistrano Valley 2
Sierra Vista 12, Duarte 6
Southlands Christian 9, El Monte 7
Temescal Canyon 10, Murrieta Valley 9
Tesoro 5, Northwood 4
Vasquez 15, Westridge 4
Western Christian 16, Summit 5
Yucaipa 14, Liberty 9

INTERSECTIONAL
Animo Watts 13, Locke 3
El Camino Real 7, La Canada 3
Newbury Park 17, Van Nuys 0
Palos Verdes 8, San Pedro 0
Pasadena Marshall 18, Fulton 1
Santa Monica 2, Carson 1
South Torrance 8, Venice 2
United Christian Academy 22, Public Safety Academy 0
West Torrance 9, Wilmington Banning 2
Wilmington Banning 10, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 0

Sports

Brooke Slusser sparks liberal social media meltdown by speaking about SJSU transgender volleyball scandal

Published

19 hours ago

March 11, 2026

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Brooke Slusser sparks liberal social media meltdown by speaking about SJSU transgender volleyball scandal

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Left-wing social media users launched a volley of insults at 23-year-old Brooke Slusser in recent days.

In response, dozens of high-profile women’s rights activists have come to the former San Jose State University volleyball player’s defense.

Slusser has addressed the critics herself in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“I would just say people that don’t know my life or my trauma don’t have room to say how good or bad my time at SJSU was. I hope they never have to understand going through something as awful as that,” she said.

She has also acknowledged the responses in a series of TikTok posts, as she has become more active on the platform this week to speak about her alleged experience at SJSU.

The online hate campaign started after Slusser shared details about living arrangements in the same apartment with transgender volleyball teammate Blaire Fleming while at San Jose State university, in an interview with Fox News Digital.

During the interview, she said, “You find out you’re just chilling in a bed with a man that you have no idea about… I [was] unknowingly sharing a bed at that time with a man,” and alleged SJSU volleyball coach Todd Kress encouraged her to live in the same apartment as the trans teammate when another group of players were also looking for a final tenant.

The fallout of the interview has prompted high-profile activists, lawmakers and even an actor to speak out, taking a side behind or against Slusser.

Many critics echoed the sentiment that “nothing bad” happened to Slusser, despite the fact that the anxiety from the situation ultimately led to her developing an eating disorder and not being able to complete her college degree.

Former “Glee” actor Kevin McHale even appeared to mock Slusser’s appearance.

A coalition of “save women’s sports” activists rushed to Slusser’s defense, with OutKick host Riley Gaines, XX-XY Athletics founder Jennifer Sey, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., women’s tennis legend Martina Navratilova and former ESPN star Sage Steele leading the charge to defend Slusser from the pro-trans detractors.

“Brooke has every right to feel violated. This is a violation of her personal space and boundaries. She was lied to. She would not have agreed to room with or play with a man,” Sey wrote in response to one critic.

Navratilova wrote in response to that same critic, “Brooke has every right to be mad. Try again with the punishment wish…”

Slusser finds herself at the center of a sports culture war flashpoint at a time when the conflict over her school’s handling of her transgender former teammate has reached a political impasse.

‘HORRIBLE’ MOMENTS EXPOSED FOR UNR VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS WHEN THEY WERE ROPED INTO THE SJSU TITLE IX SCANDAL

After the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) announced at the end of January that an investigation into the university for its handling of a trans athlete and other players concluded that the school violated Title IX, SJSU and the California State University system declined to resolve the violation.

Instead, SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson announced Friday that the school and the California State University (CSU) system are suing the federal government to challenge the investigation.

“Because we believe OCR’s findings aren’t grounded in the facts or the law, SJSU and the CSU filed a lawsuit today against the federal government to challenge those findings and prevent the federal government from taking punitive action against the university, including the potential withholding of critical federal funding,” Teniente-Matson said Friday.

“This is not a step we take lightly. However, we have a responsibility to defend the integrity of our institution and the rule of law, while ensuring that every member of our community is treated fairly and in accordance with the law. Our position is simple: We have followed the law and cannot be punished for doing so.”

The school is also requesting that OCR rescind its findings and close its investigation.

Teniente-Matson affirmed the university’s commitment to defending the LGBTQ community in the announcement.

“Our support for the LGBTQ members of our community, who have experienced threats and harms over the last several years, remains unwavering. We know the attention the university has received around this issue and the investigative process that followed have been unsettling for many in our community,” the university president said.

Among ED’s findings, it determined that a female athlete discovered that the trans student allegedly conspired to have a member of an opposing team spike her in the face during a match. The department claims “SJSU did not investigate the conspiracy, but later subjected the female athlete to a Title IX complaint for ‘misgendering’ the male athlete in online videos and interviews.”

Slusser alleged in a November 2024 lawsuit against the Mountain West that she and former assistant coach Melissa Batie-Smoose were made aware of a meeting between Fleming and Colorado State women’s volleyball player Malaya Jones on Oct. 2, 2024, during which Fleming discussed a plan with Jones to have Slusser spiked in the face during a match the following night.

Slusser’s own lawsuit partially survived motions to dismiss last week as well.

Colorado District Judge Kato Crews dismissed all the plaintiffs’ charges against the Mountain West Conference but did not dismiss charges of Title IX violations against the CSU system.

Crews deferred his ruling on whether to dismiss those charges until after a decision in the ongoing B.P.J. v. West Virginia Supreme Court case, which is expected in June.

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Brooke Slusser #10 and Blaire Fleming #3 of the San Jose State Spartans call a play during the first set against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Court at East Gym on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

The CSU provided a statement to Fox News Digital in response to Crews’ ruling.

“CSU is pleased with the court’s ruling. SJSU has complied with Title IX and all applicable law, and it will continue to do so,” the statement said.

The outcomes of the lawsuits by and against SJSU on this issue could ultimately set a consequential precedent for the future of women’s sports in America.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.