NCAA President Charlie Baker claimed in an interview Thursday on ESPN's “The Pat McAfee Show” that TV ratings for the NCAA women's volleyball tournament are up “100 percent” this year.
This spike comes just one year after the 2023 tournament saw a 115% increase from 2022.
“Ratings went up a little bit this year, and they went up 100%,” Baker boasted during the interview. “People love to watch competition. People love to see young people compete. And we have to stop talking about sports other than football and basketball as 'non-revenue.' did.”
Baker celebrated the surge in viewership Thursday night ahead of the Pittsburgh-Louisville and Penn State-Nebraska semifinals.
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San Jose State University was in jeopardy of entering this year's tournament amid a national controversy that has overshadowed much of the college volleyball season. San Jose State volleyball player Brooke Slusser is actively pursuing a lawsuit against the NCAA and is leading a separate lawsuit against the Mountain West Conference along with several other players.
The suit alleges that Slusser and other players were forced to compete against transgender athlete Blair Fleming without ever being informed of Fleming's birth gender. This controversy, and the continued presence of a transgender athlete on the team throughout the season, resulted in the forfeiture of seven regular season games and one conference tournament semifinal game.
SJSU Transgender Volleyball Scandal: Alleged Timeline, Political Implications, and Intensifying Cultural Movement
It was a series of disqualifications unprecedented in the history of the sport. Fox News Digital previously reported that the backlash to the situation led to threats against Slasher and added police protection for the team at all home and away games this year.
The controversy also drew criticism from Donald Trump during a Fox News town hall in October.
San Jose State previously told Fox News Digital that the team did not notify any opponents on its schedule about the situation involving Fleming throughout the season, only notifying other schools of the additional security needed. I admitted it.
Police protection The participation of transgender athletes was also challenged in court. Slusser and other players involved in her lawsuit called for Fleming to be removed from the Mountain West tournament.
SJSU transgender athlete Blair Fleming (left) and teammate Brooke Slusser go to a magic show together and spend Thanksgiving together, despite an ongoing lawsuit surrounding Fleming's transgender status. opened in Las Vegas. (Tien-Anh Truong/San Jose State Track and Field)
Colorado District Court Judge Kato Cruz allowed Fleming to compete in the tournament, ruling that the plaintiffs' request for an emergency postponement was “unreasonable” and “disruptive, potentially derailing months of planning, and, at the very least, would be prejudicial.” “This will be the case,'' the court ruled. [San Jose State] and other teams participating in the tournament. ”
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So Fleming, Slusser and other SJSU Spartans traveled to Las Vegas for the tournament, earning a bye in the first round thanks to six conference games forfeited by their opponents.
Boise State has already forfeited two regular-season tournaments to San Jose State amid controversy after the school's home state of Idaho issued an executive order banning transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. Ta. So, after Boise State defeated Utah State in the quarterfinals, the Broncos were eliminated from the semifinals for the third time, sending San Jose State to the championship game.
San Jose State University Spartans head coach Todd Kress speaks to reporters after losing the NCAA Mountain West women's volleyball game against the Colorado State University Rams on October 3, 2024 in Fort Collins, Colorado. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Colorado State defeated San Jose State in the final, keeping Fleming and the Spartans out of the NCAA Tournament.
After that game, Spartans head coach Todd Kress released a statement to FOX News Digital.
“Each time a disqualification is announced, an appalling and hateful message is released that the individual chose to send directly to the student-athletes, coaching staff, and many others associated with the program,” Kress said. ” he said.
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