Boise’s decision to forgo its semifinal game against San Jose is causing ongoing controversy

ST. GEORGE, Utah (KUTV) – Colorado State will face San Jose State in the Mountain West Championship in Las Vegas on Saturday. This came after Boise State lost its semifinal game to the Spartans.

The conference was marred by controversy after a player on the San Jose State team was accused of being transgender.

Utah State co-captain Kaylie Ray, who has joined a lawsuit challenging the NCAA and Mountain West Conference’s policies on the participation of transgender athletes, described the impact the issue has had on her and other athletes.

“It’s difficult being a student-athlete the way he is,” Ray said. “It becomes even more difficult when leaders, conferences and the NCAA make it even harder for you by failing to protect your rights and your right to safe and fair competition.”

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Ray and her teammates have raised safety concerns, citing the risk of injury when competing against transgender players.

“We take concussions very seriously, and something like this can be a season-ending and career-ending injury,” Ray said. “The angle at which the (San Jose State player) can attack and his jumping ability were definitely a concern. At the time it was just, ‘Oh, that’s a crazy athlete.’ But now we know that the athlete is a biological male and that he had advantages that we don’t have.”

The ongoing lawsuit aims to challenge policies that allow transgender athletes who were assigned male at birth to compete in women’s classes.

Sophia Ramirez, a physician who specializes in gender-affirming care, says the effects of transition on physical performance are nuanced.

“It is known that the earlier someone begins transitioning, the more pronounced the physiological changes are,” Ramirez said. “For those starting around puberty or age 18, after three or four years of consistent feminizing hormone therapy, they are physiologically almost identical to cisgender women in terms of muscle mass, fat muscle mass, grip strength and hemoglobin levels.”

Ramirez added that those who start hormone therapy later may retain physical benefits that could impact athletic performance.

“There are individual differences, but the longer a person’s body has been masculinized before starting hormone therapy, the harder it is to completely reverse these changes,” Ramirez explained.

The Mountain West Women’s Volleyball Championship comes to an end Saturday, but for athletes like Ray, the season appears to be overshadowed.

“This tournament is tainted and whoever wins is not the true champion of the Mountain West Conference,” she said. “This is not fair competition.”

The NCAA has defended its policies, saying they aim to balance inclusion with fair competition. But critics say more research is needed to assess the physical impact of the transition on athletes.

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