Former San Jose State University (SJSU) volleyball coach Melissa Batie-Smoose alleges a school official told her transgender player Blaire Fleming could not compete at one point during the 2023 season because Fleming’s testosterone level exceeded the eligibility limit.

In a new interview with OutKick, Batie-Smoose, who is now the head volleyball coach at Cisco College, claimed SJSU associate athletics director Laura Alexander informed her of Fleming's failed test before the women’s volleyball team left for its first conference match.

"So it was told to me by our associate AD, confirming to me that Fleming was not showing up for the test, the blood test," Batie-Smoose said.

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"And that Fleming had one day left before we were going to leave for our first conference match, and that he needed to come in and test. And then, then she proceeded to tell me the next day that after the test, that the testosterone levels were too high, and Fleming is ineligible to play and will not be going on the trip that day."

The coach added that the alleged failed test was kept "a secret" from the rest of the team.

The allegation also appears in Batie-Smoose’s Oct. 13 federal lawsuit against the California State University (CSU) trustees and 11 SJSU employees.

Fleming then missed a long stretch of the 2023 season. SJSU’s athletics website claimed the player had not competed since Sept. 16 of that year "due to injuries," in a November 2023 game recap.

Batie-Smoose said, "The injury happened the day that Fleming went to go get tested, and it was very questionable."

Batie-Smoose believes the injury explanation helped keep the alleged eligibility issue secret. Her lawsuit also describes that conclusion as her belief.

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"Around the same time the testosterone results were revealed, Fleming thereafter missed conference matches because of a reported hand injury, which Plaintiff believes was an excuse to hide his ineligibility to play because of his hormone level," the lawsuit states.

SJSU's own game records confirm that Fleming missed matches, but they do not establish whether a testosterone test result played a role in the absence.

In 2023, NCAA rules allowed transgender women to play on women’s teams, but they had to meet requirements for hormone treatment and testosterone levels. The NCAA kept that policy, known as Phase Two, in place through the 2023–24 school year.

Under that framework, transgender women had to complete at least one year of testosterone suppression treatment before competing on a women’s team. They also had to provide blood-test results that met the NCAA’s limit for their sport. For women’s volleyball, the Phase Two limit was below 10 nanomoles per liter of total testosterone in the blood.

The requirements applied before an athlete’s first competition in each season segment, including nonconference games. Schools had to submit eligibility documents for an NCAA medical panel to review before the athlete competed. The requirement did not begin only when conference play started.

Schools also had to certify athletes’ eligibility before allowing them to compete. If an athlete became ineligible, NCAA rules required the school to immediately keep that athlete out of competition.

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Batie-Smoose’s account does not establish that Fleming played while ineligible. Fleming did return in November of that season, missing 17 matches.

SJSU has declined to respond to a request for clarification.

"Due to pending litigation, San Jose State is unable to respond to your inquiry," a university spokesperson told OutKick.

OutKick also reached out to Fleming, the NCAA, the Mountain West and the CSU for comment, but did not receive a response.

Batie-Smoose’s allegations extend beyond Fleming’s eligibility. She also says her relationship with head coach Todd Kress unraveled as their political views grew apart — and accuses him of using her support for Trump to turn players against her.

She described Kress as a longtime friend who once shared her conservative beliefs.

"Todd was a conservative Republican, and we shared the same views on a lot of things. And that’s why we were friends for so long," she said. "And then somewhere in the craziness, he went left and really extreme left."

Asked when she noticed that change, Batie-Smoose said it happened "before the first Trump election."

The two continued discussing politics, she said. But she alleges Kress began raising their differences in front of athletes, crossing a boundary she wanted to keep between their personal disagreements and their coaching jobs.

"Oh, yeah. We talked about politics all the time," she said. "You know, once he turned, it was more, um, he would bring it up in settings that I felt like it was very inappropriate."

"We can talk and debate on those subjects when we’re in a room together, but not in front of student athletes. I feel like that is not the time and the place to speak on that."

Batie-Smoose said the treatment intensified after they arrived at SJSU in 2023. She believes Kress brought up her political and religious views to mock her and weaken her relationships with the team.

"Especially once we arrived at San Jose State, and I’ve referred to this before, this man was unrecognizable," she said.

She alleged that Kress knew which players would object to her views and raised the subject in front of them to create division.

Asked whether Kress told those players that he had once held similar conservative beliefs, Batie-Smoose replied: "Oh, no way. No way. He would never state that."

She said she did not share his past political views with the athletes herself.

"I do not talk about those things in front of athletes ever," she said.

Her lawsuit alleges that Kress called her a "Trump lover." It also says she repeatedly expressed her religious belief that "God made man and woman," and that she believes his treatment reflected hostility toward her faith.

She further alleges that he cornered and berated her during an office confrontation in about August 2023, after a canceled recruiting visit. The complaint says he threatened that he could get her fired.

Batie-Smoose says she reported the encounter to administrators and human resources. She alleges they told her Kress was her boss and she needed to listen to him.

Her attorney, Vernadette Broyles, described what she sees as a broader effort to silence her client.

"There was a watchdog that was assigned to be at every practice and to travel with Melissa to watch what she said, to watch what she did," Broyles said.

The lawsuit identifies a university administrator in connection with that allegation. The complaint presents the claimed purpose as Batie-Smoose’s belief.

CSU has defended its handling of Batie-Smoose in its March lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education.

The employment dispute grew as the volleyball controversy spread.

During the 2024 season, former SJSU co-captain Slusser publicly challenged Fleming’s participation, and several opponents refused to play against SJSU. Batie-Smoose filed a Title IX complaint Oct. 29 alleging unequal treatment and failures to address concerns inside the program.

SJSU placed Batie-Smoose on paid leave days later. Its suspension letter cited several grounds, including alleged disclosure of private student information, differential treatment of athletes and unprofessional conduct. Batie-Smoose disputes those grounds.

On Jan. 31, 2025, the university told her it would not renew her temporary appointment. Batie-Smoose then filed an employment lawsuit against SJSU last September.

Then, this year, on Sept. 4, Judge Noël Wise dismissed her second amended complaint in an earlier employment case. Wise found that her allegations did not adequately show that SJSU punished her because of her sex or for raising complaints protected by law. The judge emphasized the complaint’s account that SJSU acted after she shared student information with the media despite instructions to keep it confidential.

Wise allowed her to amend. The ruling addressed whether that complaint stated a valid legal claim. It did not decide the dispute after a trial.

The October filing accuses officials of violating her rights to speak, practice her faith and hold political beliefs. It also alleges unequal treatment under the law. Batie-Smoose seeks reinstatement or a comparable job, compensation and correction of adverse personnel records.

Federal investigators have separately challenged SJSU’s handling of the volleyball program.

In January, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights concluded that the school violated Title IX over athletic participation, facilities and its response to complaints. The agency also raised concerns about unequal treatment in employment, while acknowledging that incomplete records limited its conclusions.

CSU disputes the federal findings. The system sued the Education Department in March, arguing that SJSU followed the law and NCAA rules that governed the seasons under review.

Batie-Smoose says legal advice shaped how much she shared publicly as the dispute unfolded.

"When this all began, I did not have legal representation," she said.

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"I mean, we have a lawsuit here and we want to win, and we also want to make change."

She has since returned to coaching. Cisco College in Texas announced her hiring as head volleyball coach in April.

"This is what God intended me to do," she said.

She described the new job as a chance to lead young women again while her case moves forward.

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"God put me here. I have a purpose, and I’m so blessed that I get to lead these young women again, and I’m having a lot of fun at it."

After losing five consecutive games, the Maryland athletic department announced Wednesday that it was moving on from head football coach Mike Locksley. The school described the decision as a " mutual" agreement between both parties.

When the Terrapins called a team meeting for Wednesday morning, the news had already been broken by multiple outlets that included OutKick, players were seen arriving to the football facility for an explanation from those in charge of moving the program forward.

Unfortunately, news like this rarely stays quiet until a team can gather privately. Reporters typically wait outside football facilities to speak with players and gauge their reactions after a head coach is fired.

Defensive coordinator Aazaar Abdul-Rahim will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

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Yes, reporters will stand outside the football facility for player interaction

That was the case Wednesday, when two University of Maryland student reporters stood outside the athletic complex hoping to speak with players leaving the facility after learning about Locksley’s dismissal.

According to one of the student reporters, SB Nation’s Testudo Times journalist Nolan Rogalski, he and Jude Wilkenfeld believed they were permitted to stand outside the football complex because Maryland is a public university.

However, a Maryland staff member reportedly called police on the two student journalists for "suspicious activity." Two officers then arrived at the scene and questioned the reporters about what they were doing outside the facility.

"For @testudotimes , @JudeWilkenfeld and I were outside Jones-Hill House trying to get players to comment," Rogalski mentioned on social media. "An athletics staffer took pictures of us, and a police dispatch was called for suspicious activity; a cop and 2 cop cars pulled up, and officers ID’d us and asked us to leave."

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The students appeared to be doing nothing out of line. They were simply covering a major story unfolding on their campus and attempting to speak with players affected by the coaching change.

This time last season, there had already been seven head coaches fired in college football, and every single one of them led to reporters in some capacity trying to gather quotes from athletes who were affected by the news.

Somewhere, there was a breakdown in communication on Wednesday following the firing of Locksley.

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Whether the school acted out of spite or genuinely did not know what the two students were doing outside the football complex is up for debate.

The University of Maryland Police Department recorded the names of Rogalski and Wilkenfeld but said no report was filed regarding the incident. The school and UMPD released a joint statement Wednesday evening emphasizing that they respect the First Amendment rights of journalists.

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The statement also cited heightened security concerns surrounding the football program in recent weeks as the reason police were contacted.

"UMPD was contacted today, Oct. 21, 2026, about two individuals who were standing outside of Jones Hill House," the statement noted. "Due to heightened concerns for staff and player safety around the football program in recent weeks, there has been increased security around athletics facilities. A UMPD officer approached the two individuals, learned they were with a campus media organization, recorded student IDs, and no report was taken."

"UMPD and Maryland Athletics respect the First Amendment rights of all journalists reporting in public spaces."

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The Maryland athletic department has recently been criticized over decisions made regarding press conferences involving the now former head coach Mike Locksley.

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Now they are searching for a new head coach, while also still making the news for actions involving reporters.

Hall of Fame basketball coach Bob Huggins has a progressive cognitive condition, his family announced in a statement Wednesday.

Huggins, 73, is the winningest coach in Cincinnati Bearcats history and is set to be inducted into the University of Cincinnati Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday. The Huggins family said it chose to keep the matter private over the past several months but decided to speak out before Friday's induction.

"Bob is living with a progressive cognitive condition that has begun to affect his memory, and aspects of his daily life," the statement read.

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"While the family has chosen to keep this matter private over the past several months, they believe this is an appropriate time to share the news with the many people who have supported Bob throughout his remarkable career, particularly as he prepares to be honored with induction into the University of Cincinnati’s James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame."

The statement said Huggins will be surrounded by his family as they navigate this next chapter and that the family will not provide further comment on his health.

"Although Bob and his family recognize the challenges that lie ahead, they remain focused on the relationships, experiences, and moments that bring him joy. He continues to be surrounded by the unwavering love and support of his wife, June; his daughters, Jenna and Jacqueline; and his entire family," the statement read.

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"The Huggins family extends its sincere appreciation to the former players, colleagues, fans, and friends who have shown Bob such extraordinary love and support over the years. The family respectfully asks for privacy, compassion, and understanding as they navigate this next chapter together."

The University of Cincinnati said it is excited for Friday’s induction and extended its "heartfelt support" to Huggins and his family.

"Coach Huggins is undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. He restored Cincinnati basketball to national prominence, ignited a passion for the Bearcats throughout our city and left an indelible mark on generations of student-athletes," the university said in a statement.

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Over his 41-season coaching career, Huggins spent four seasons at Walsh, then an NAIA school; five at Akron; 16 at Cincinnati; one at Kansas State; and 16 at West Virginia. He coached in 26 NCAA tournaments and reached two Final Fours. He won 935 games in his career.

Huggins was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.