Nevada gov speaks out against trans athletes in women's sports ahead of controversial volleyball tournament

Las Vegas is acceptable to big 1 of the astir arguable women's assemblage volleyball tournaments successful the sport's past this week. 

This year's Mountain West Tournament volition diagnostic San Jose State trans jock Blaire Fleming, and aggregate teams that person already forfeited to the Spartans this play amid a nationalist contention implicit Fleming's presence. 

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo condemned the conception of trans athletes competing against women conscionable days earlier Fleming volition apt vie successful his authorities nether a nationalist spotlight.

Lombardo released a connection connected Wednesday saying helium believes that pupil athletes should "only vie with and against members of the aforesaid biologic sex."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo speaks during a quality league aft the state euphony festival wide shooting connected Oct. 4, 2017, successful Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

"Every student, careless of gender, is entitled to just and harmless contention successful precocious schoolhouse and collegiate sports. For the well-being of students and the integrity of competition, I judge students should lone vie with and against members of the aforesaid biologic sex," Lombardo said, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"As a begetter of 2 daughters, I firmly judge successful protecting the sanctity of women's sports. Despite attempts to politicize this issue, my doctrine is simple: women should enactment successful women's sports and men should enactment successful men's sports. No substance what sports squad a pupil plays connected oregon what extracurricular activities a pupil participates in, each pupil deserves to beryllium treated with the utmost kindness and respect – connected and disconnected the field, successful and retired of the classroom." 

Lombardo antecedently weighed successful connected the San Jose State contention erstwhile it progressive women athletes astatine the University of Nevada, Reno successful October. The university's volleyball squad was scheduled to play San Jose State's connected Oct. 26, but Nevada players told their diversion section that they didn't privation to vie against Fleming. 

SJSU TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL SCANDAL: TIMELINE OF ALLEGATIONS, POLITICAL IMPACT AND A RAGING CULTURE MOVEMENT

However, the assemblage initially did not respect the players' wishes, and publically stated its volition to proceed with the lucifer against San Jose State. A Nevada spokesperson antecedently told Fox News Digital that the assemblage was doing this to debar violating Democratiic-passed authorities instrumentality that prevents trans discrimination. 

Lombardo praised the players for taking a basal successful a connection connected Oct. 15.

"As I’ve said previously, I judge determination are contention and information concerns with this issue, and it’s irresponsible for the NCAA to enactment pupil athletes successful a presumption of balancing their idiosyncratic information against the schools, contention and sports they love," Lombardo’s connection read.

"The pupil athletes astatine the University of Nevada, Reno person determined that they bash not privation to play against San Jose State, and I wholeheartedly respect the determination of the players. No pupil jock should ever beryllium pressured to play a crippled wherever they don’t consciousness harmless – period. The NCAA has a work to code this contented successful a accordant mode that protects the integrity of women’s sports and the pupil athletes who participate."

The players past spoke retired publically and alleged the assemblage was pressuring them to vie against the Spartans. Nevada past officially forfeited the lucifer the time earlier it was acceptable to beryllium played, claiming it didn't person capable players to compete. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Blaire Fleming of the San Jose State Spartans attempts to artifact a changeable during the Air Force Falcons lucifer connected Oct. 19, 2024, successful Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

Four different teams, including 3 league rivals, forfeited games against San Jose State this season. Those forfeits yielded the Spartans six further league wins, arsenic it ended up earning the No. 2 effect successful the upcoming tourney and a first-round bye. 

Now, San Jose State is guaranteed to face a squad that antecedently forfeited to them successful the semifinal circular of the tournament. Utah State and Boise State, which each refused to look the Spartans, volition look disconnected successful the quarterfinals connected Wednesday nighttime for the close to beforehand to the semifinals. 

A San Jose State spokesperson antecedently told Fox News Digital that the league is presently preparing for each teams and players that qualified for the tourney to compete, but it has a program successful the lawsuit of forfeits. That program includes a willingness to admit San Jose State arsenic the league champion if its opponents forfeit en way to a triumph successful the final. 

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