EXCLUSIVE: Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little addressed the Boise State University volleyball team’s decision to forfeit Friday’s Mountain West Tournament game against San Jose State.

Boise State lost to San Jose State for the third time this season and sacrificed a chance to win a championship by refusing to take trans athlete Blaire Fleming to court as a national controversy erupted over the team in recent months was.

Little said there was an “unfortunate” element that his state’s school would miss a chance to win a conference title, but praised the team as a “leader.”

“It is unfortunate that our female athletes must choose fairness in their sport and their own safety over their ability to compete in a match they deserve. Even with their biggest game of the season on the line, the Boise State women’s volleyball team has had consistent success.” “Idaho will continue to fight to defend women’s sports,” Little told Fox News Digital.

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Blaire Fleming, number 3 of the San Jose State Spartans, attacks the net in the first set against the Air Force Falcons on Falcon Court at East Gym on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Little was a leading Republican leader in the fight against transgender inclusion in women’s sports during the Biden administration. In August, he approved an executive order enforcing the Defending Women’s Sports Act in his state, which requires public schools to restrict and prevent transgender inclusion in girls’ sports.

Boise State was one of the first teams to forfeit, losing its regular season game to San Jose State earlier this season on Sept. 28 when the two teams played in California. Little praised the team for this in an X post.

“I applaud (Boise State) for working under my executive order, the Defending Women’s Sports Act,” his post on X reads. “We must ensure the safety of all of our athletes and continue the fight for fairness in women’s sports.”

Boise State and San Jose State were scheduled to play a return game in the regular season finale on November 21st.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Nov. 1, Little said he was confident that game would also be forfeited and the fallout from potentially playing it in his home state could trigger prosecutors’ intervention.

“That has to be decided by a prosecutor and a judge. I’m pretty sure it won’t happen against the Boise State athletes, it just won’t happen here,” Little said.

Little has taken a tough stance against trans inclusion in women’s sports, telling Fox News Digital that he will support President-elect Trump’s proposed total ban on trans athletes competing against biological women. It’s an issue that has taken the country by storm in the recent election cycle.

SJSU TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: TIMELINE OF CLAIM, POLITICAL IMPACT AND AN ANGRY CULTURAL MOVEMENT

Idaho Gov. Brad Little has taken a tough stance against transgender inclusion in women’s sports.

Even in a state like Idaho, where there were no significant cases of trans athletes attempting to compete against women, this issue was still a top priority for voters. Little told Fox News Digital back in August that there was no specific incident of transgender inclusion in his state that played a role in his decision to pass the executive order, and that citizens in his state supported the order because of the events supported and supported nationwide.

Idaho is one of 23 states that have passed laws to restrict or prevent transgender inclusion in women’s sports. However, in some states with these laws, there have been incidents in which the inclusion of transgender people in a girls’ sport was made possible by a federal judge’s decision.

Judges Landya McCafferty of New Hampshire and M. Hannah Lauck of Virginia, both appointed during the Obama administration, each issued rulings this year that allowed biological males to play on high school girls’ soccer and tennis teams . McCafferty passed a rule that allowed two trans athletes to compete on girls’ high school soccer teams in New Hampshire, while Lauck ruled that an 11-year-old trans tennis player could compete against girls her own age in Virginia.

Little admitted he is concerned about similar rulings affecting schools in his state, particularly from judges in California. Idaho has jurisdiction on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which is shared with California, Oregon and Washington.

“It’s always something you worry about,” Little said. “We’re in the Ninth Circuit, Idaho, where there are a lot of judges from California, but this is a problem we’re facing on all sorts of fronts.”

Little is now just one of many political figures who agree with Boise State over its recent and momentous decision to forgo the conference semifinals.

Texas Rep. Justin Burrows praised Boise State in an X post.

“Huge respect to the Boise State women’s volleyball team for standing up for fairness by forfeiting their semifinal game against San Jose State, which has a biological male on the roster who identifies as a woman. “Your decision shows real courage and commitment to fair women’s sport.” . Proud to see them standing up for what is right!” Burrow wrote on X.

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Meanwhile, Little’s Republican colleague from Idaho, Senator Jim Risch, spoke out against the Mountain West conference even allowing Fleming’s participation.

“They (Mountain West) let our Boise State women’s volleyball team down. These women have worked too hard for too long to be denied their right to fair and safe competition. We have to fight to protect women’s sports,” Risch wrote on X.

A federal judge had the option of blocking Flaming from participating in the tournament but decided to allow her instead. Colorado’s Kato Crews, appointed by President Biden in January, rejected a request for a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by college volleyball players against the conference.

A dozen women filed a joint lawsuit against Mountain West and its commissioner, alleging violations of Title IX and their First Amendment rights. The women’s team includes SJSU co-volleyball captain Brooke Slusser and two former Spartans and female athletes other Mountain West schools.

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