UC Davis Quietly Reaches Out to San Jose State for Guidance on Transgender Athlete Inclusion
As the NCAA landscape shifts following new restrictions on transgender athletes, internal communications have revealed that UC Davis sought insight from San Jose State University regarding best practices for integrating a transgender athlete into one of their teams.
The inquiry, made by Melissa Hughes, Associate Athletics Director at UC Davis, was sent via email in September 2024 to Laura Alexander, a senior official in San Jose State’s athletic department. The email, obtained via a public records request, hints at the behind-the-scenes discussions athletic programs are having as they navigate evolving policies and public scrutiny.
“We have a prospective student-athlete who is transgender,” Hughes wrote, adding she was told San Jose State had previously dealt with a similar situation. “I would like to know what you may have done with respect to education and counseling leading up to the student-athlete coming aboard.”
Though the email does not specify the athlete’s gender identity or intended sport, it refers to Blaire Fleming, a transgender woman who played for the San Jose State women’s volleyball team during the 2024 season. Fleming’s participation sparked controversy, prompting several opposing schools to cancel or forfeit matches in protest—including Boise State’s forfeit in the Mountain West Tournament semifinal.
Alexander responded courteously to Hughes, offering her phone number and saying she’d be happy to speak further. However, when contacted by media for follow-up details on the conversation, Alexander did not respond.
As of now, it remains unclear whether UC Davis has moved forward with onboarding the prospective athlete or how this situation aligns with the NCAA’s updated 2025 policy, which restricts biological males from competing in women’s sports. The policy change came after an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, further intensifying the national debate over fairness and inclusion in collegiate athletics.
Neither UC Davis nor Melissa Hughes have issued a public statement or responded to media inquiries regarding the status of the athlete or the nature of the planned inclusion.
UC Davis competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Big West Conference, where athletic departments are now finding themselves on the frontlines of a cultural and legal shift around gender identity and sports participation.
