EXCLUSIVE: In October, players on the University of Nevada Reno women’s volleyball team were engaged in a highly publicized dispute with its university and athletic department over whether to play a match against San Jose State University. 

San Jose State, at the time, rostered a trans athlete.

The Nevada players approached university administrators privately to express their desire to forfeit the match and join four other programs that refused to play SJSU. But Nevada did not honor that request and instead released a statement insisting it would play the match. Nevada also insisted its players would be allowed to skip the contest without facing discipline. 

The team ultimately forfeited the day before the match was scheduled to be played, due to not having enough players. However, the university has said it had discussions with the players about potential “legal issues” that would emerge if the match were not played. 

“University administrators met with the Nevada volleyball team and discussed scenarios of what could happen if they chose not to play. One of the scenarios that was discussed revolved around possible legal issues for violating the Nevada Constitution,” read a statement that was provided exclusively to Fox News Digital by the University of Nevada, Reno. 

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The state’s constitution was revised in 2022, when Democrat lawmakers voted to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment, which added gender identity to its list of diversity classifications that are protected under state law. 

“The University of Nevada was prohibited by laws and regulations to forfeit for reasons related to gender identity or expression. As a State university, a forfeiture for reasons involving gender identity or expression could constitute per se discrimination and violate the Nevada Constitution,” Nevada’s statement read. 

Nevada’s statement was in response to allegations made by co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), Marshi Smith. 

Smith met and spoke with multiple players on the Nevada team during ther dispute, and heads the legal advocacy group that has brought a lawsuit against San Jose State and the Mountain West conference for its handling of the situation involving the trans athlete. 

“At UNR, school administrators warned athletes they could face legal action if they refused to compete against SJSU’s team, which included a male starter,” Smith told Fox News Digital. 

The dispute between the players escalated into a national controversy that even garnered mainstream political attention in the weeks leading up to November’s election. 

Nevada players, including captain Sia Liilii, spoke out publicly against the university multiple times for its refusal to forfeit the match. Trump’s Director of National Intelligence presumptive nominee Tulsi Gabbard and former Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sam Brown even visited the team for a photo-op and interview. 

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The scale of the controversy only heightened as the Oct. 26 match date approached. On Oct. 22, Nevada and San Jose State announced that the match would be moved from Nevada’s campus in Reno to San Jose State’s campus in the Bay Area in California, claiming the location change was “in the best interest of both programs and the well-being of the student-athletes, coaches, athletic staff and spectators.”

But then, the day before the match, Nevada announced that its team would forfeit, citing the fact that it didn’t have enough players who were willing to participate. Nevada took a loss on its record, for the match, then went just 1-7 to finish the season. 

Nevada players previously spoke about pressures they faced from the university to play the match in a press conference at their university. It was held the day of the originally scheduled match on Oct. 26. 

Liilii broke down in tears from the minute she took the podium while she recounted her experience telling school officials she didn’t want to compete against a transgender player.

“We felt unsafe and dismissed,” Liilii said, sobbing. “We met with our school officials to give them our team’s new statement, but they wouldn’t even hear it. We were told that we weren’t educated enough and that we didn’t understand the science. We were told to reconsider our position.” 

Nevada sophomore Masyn Navarro alleged her teammates had been told to “stay quiet” about the controversy during the press conference. 

“It should not be this difficult to stand up for women. However, we will now take this opportunity to stand up as a team, as some of us have been told to stay quiet,” Navarro said. 

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Nevada athletic director Stephanie Rempe previously provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the allegations that were made at the press conference. 

“I did not tell, and am unaware of any member of the athletics administrative team telling members of our women’s volleyball team that they ‘weren’t educated enough,’ that they ‘didn’t understand the science,’ that they should reconsider their position or that they should ‘stay quiet’ regarding their participation in an Oct. 26 match that was scheduled against San Jose State University.”

Rempe said she had offered an apology to the players regarding how they were informed that the university planned to proceed with the game, even after the players had voted to forfeit. 

“On Oct. 14 and Oct. 22, I spoke with the team for less than five minutes each time and those gatherings were operational in nature. At all three meetings, I shared our genuine apology for not sharing the statement released on Oct. 3 in advance of their match against UNLV. As has been stated on multiple occasions, we continue to support the rights of the volleyball players who choose and choose not to participate,” Rempe said.

Article I, Section 24 of the Nevada Constitution provides that “Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this state or any of its political subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin.”

But Liilii is now one of 11 former or current Mountain West volleyball players engaged in the lawsuit against San Jose State and the Mountain West for its handling of the situation involving the trans athlete. 

San Jose State co-captain Brooke Slusser leads the suit and is engaged in a separate lawsuit against the NCAA citing her experience of having to share a team, bedroom and changing spaces with the trans athlete while knowledge of the player’s birth sex was actively withheld from her for an entire season by the school and conference.

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The other players on the plaintiff list are Alyssa Sugai, Elle Patterson, Nicanora Clarke, Kaylie Ray, Macey Boggs, Sierra Grizzle, Jordan Sandy, Katelyn Van Kirk and Kiersten Van Kirk. Former SJSU Assistant volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose, who was suspended by San Jose State after filing a Title IX complaint alleging the university gave favorable treatment toward the trans player, is also a plaintiff. 

Smith told Fox News Digital that some athletes have expressed fear of retaliation by their schools when deciding whether or not to seek their help. 

“The most common first question we hear from NCAA female athletes seeking support is: ‘What can my school or the NCAA do to retaliate against me if I speak out against allowing men in women’s sports?’ They’re often terrified of losing scholarships or being kicked off their teams,” Smith told Fox News Digital. 

“The first reassurance we provide is that these athletes have a Constitutional right to free speech. They can speak out or forfeit in protest against discrimination, Title IX violations, or increased safety risks when competing against a male athlete—without fear of retaliation, regardless of the lies their schools may tell them.”

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After a challenging start to conference play, the Nevada basketball team has a chance to pick up its first win of the season in the Mountain West on Saturday.

But so does Fresno State.

The Wolf Pack plays the Bulldogs with tip-off set for 4 p.m. Saturday.

Nevada is 0-4 in conference (8-7 overall) and coming off a one-point overtime loss, 82-81, at New Mexico. The Bulldogs (4-12, 0-5 MW) lost by 27 at Colorado State, 91-64, on Tuesday

What time is the Nevada-Fresno State game at Save Mart Center?

Saturday, 4 p.m. in Fresno, California.

What TV channel and radio station are airing the Nevada-Fresno State game?

The game will be broadcast on TV on KNSN (Ch. 21) and on the Mountain West Network. It will be on the radio at 95.5 FM with John Ramey. All games are available online through the Varsity Network app.

The rankings

Nevada is No. 59 in the current KenPom Rankings, while Fresno State is No. 264.

Meanwhile, Nevada is No. 53 in the NCAA NET rankings and Fresno State is No. 273.

Scoring

Nick Davidson leads the Wolf Pack at 15.3 points per game and Kobe Sanders is averaging 15.1.

The Bulldogs have five players averaging double figures, led by Amar Aguillard at 13.3 points per game and Zaon Collins at 12.9.

Mountain West Standings

Conference, overall

• Utah State 5-0, 15-1
• New Mexico 5-0, 13-3
• Boise State 4-1, 12-4
• San Diego State 3-1, 10-3
• UNLV 3-1, 9-6
• Colorado State 3-1, 9-6
• Wyoming 2-3, 9-7
• Nevada 0-4, 8-7
• Air Force 0-4, 3-12
• San Jose State 0-5, 7-10
• Fresno State 0-5, 4-12

Saturday’s games: Nevada at Fresno State, San Diego State at New Mexico, San Jose State at Air Force, UNLV at Colorado State, Boise State at Utah State.

Nevada’s Schedule

• Jan. 11, Nevada at Fresno State, 4 p.m. (TV: KNSN, Radio: 95.5 FM)
• Jan. 14, Air Force at Nevada, 7 p.m. (TV: KNSN, Radio: 95.5 FM)
• Jan. 18, San Jose State at Nevada, 3 p.m.
• Jan. 22, Nevada at Utah State, 6 p.m.
• Jan. 25, Nevada at San Diego State, 7 p.m.
• Jan. 29, Nevada at Boise State, 7 p.m.
• Feb. 1, UNLV at Nevada, 8 p.m.
• Feb. 4, Nevada at Air Force, 6 p.m.
• Feb. 10, Fresno State at Nevada, 8 p.m.
• Feb. 14, Nevada at San Jose State, 7 p.m.
• Feb. 18, Nevada at Colorado State, 6 p.m.
• Feb. 22, Boise State at Nevada, 3 p.m.
• Feb. 25, Wyoming at Nevada, 7 p.m.
• Feb. 28, Nevada at UNLV, 8 p.m.
• March 4, New Mexico at Nevada, 6 p.m.
• March 8, Nevada at San Diego State, 7:30 p.m.

Nevada’s lieutenant governor formed a task force this week aimed at preventing transgender women and girls from participating in women’s sports and exploring how to create fair competition for the sexes.

Reached by phone Friday, Republican Stavros Anthony said he formed the “Lieutenant Governor’s Task Force to Protect Women’s Sports” to address what he described as potential unfairness from women and girl’s playing in athletic competitions against transgender female athletes.

“I wanted a very focused laser beam working together approach in the state of Nevada to make sure that we ban biological men playing in women’s sports,” he said.

Anthony said he didn’t know how many trans athletes play in Nevada, but he has “been told” that there are high school and college players. He said he didn’t believe the effort was wading into “transgender issues.” Instead, he said the task force is focused on biological sex.

The purpose of the task force will be to “promote policies that prioritize fairness, protect women’s safe spaces, uphold opportunities for women, and preserve the integrity of competition,” according to the Tuesday announcement. Anthony said the task force will meet, host town halls and rallies on the issue to spread awareness and hear opposing views.

Anthony said he was spurred to create the task force following the controversy faced by University of Nevada, Reno’s volleyball team. In October, the team forfeited a game against the San Jose State Spartans because of allegations of a transgender player on the team. UNR did not have enough players to compete because “a majority” of players said they would sit out in protest of the participation of transgender women in sports.

The task force’s chair will be Marshi Smith, a Henderson resident, former college athlete and co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports. Other members of the 11-person group include Sen. Carrie Buck, R-Henderson; Assemblyman Bert Gurr, R-Elko; Nevada System of Higher Education Regent Stephanie Goodman and Washoe County Commissioner Clara Andriola.

Buck said she intends to introduce legislation that would promote transparency in athletic leagues. It would create co-ed leagues at the high school and collegiate levels and would require female leagues to inform athletes that the league may have transwomen teammates or competitors. She said the bill is still being drafted.

“I have empathy for those that are transitioning,” Buck said. “But inevitably, I also feel for that biological girl that is competing in the sport and is just going to be taken out because men are better at some sports.”

Advocates push back

LGBTQ advocacy groups described the task force as an attack on transgender Nevadans and a political move. Andre Wade, Silver State Equality’s state director, called it a losing strategy and said youth sports participation should be available to all.

“Our schools should be focused on providing the best possible education and helping to improve the well-being of all students, not actively harming students’ mental health and creating a hostile environment by singling out certain individuals,” Wade said in a statement. “Every child deserves equal access to these opportunities.”

It’s not clear how many transgender student athletes participate in Nevada sports. In a December Senate hearing, NCAA President Charlie Baker said there are fewer than 10 transgender athletes he’s aware of competing in collegiate sports.

Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, said he didn’t expect the proposals from task force members and conservatives broadly to become policy in Nevada because of the Democratic-controlled Legislature and state Equal Rights Amendment protections voters added to the Nevada Constitution in 2022. He also argued that trans athletes playing in girls’ and women’s leagues are rare.

He said he suspects the topic has received so much attention because of its place in “culture wars.”

“There’s been tens of millions of dollars across the country poured into attempting to paint every trans athlete, effectively, as LeBron James in drag, which is the furthest thing from reality and what’s happening across the country,” Haseebullah said.

“I think the majority of legislators that I’ve spoken to are focused on fixing public education.”

Despite its low prevalence, the issue continues to be top of mind for both parties. A federal judge blocked the Biden administration’s attempt to strengthen Title IX protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in a ruling on Thursday, ruling the Education Department had overstepped on sex discrimination and First Amendment grounds.

More than half of states ban of transgender girls and women participating in sports aligned with their gender identity through legislation or state rules, according to the Movement Advancement Project think tank.

A 2020 Idaho ban – which included a sex dispute verification process that would require someone to undergo medical exams to verify their sex — faced an injunction from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The June 2024 decision said it likely violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The state has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in.

President-Elect Donald Trump has vowed to take up the issue through the executive branch.

Contact McKenna Ross at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.