Utah State University has filed a motion to join an ongoing lawsuit seeking to challenge Mountain West Conference policies that allow transgender people to play on the team that aligns with their gender identity.

Several volleyball teams — including Utah State’s team — have refused to compete against the San Jose State University team, which the plaintiffs say has a transgender player. The Nov. 18 Utah State court filing states that the team’s refusal to compete was “due to concerns for fairness and to communicate that they do not agree with (the transgender participation policy) and have strong personal and political beliefs that transgender people should not should be allowed to compete in women’s sports.”

A spokesperson for San Jose State University told ABC News that it will not address or confirm the gender identity of any student-athlete due to federal privacy protections, but maintains that all athletes are in full compliance with NCAA and Mountain West rules and regulations.

ESPN reports that the student, who is playing in her third season with the team, has never publicly stated that she is transgender.

“It is disappointing that our SJSU student-athletes … have been denied the opportunity to compete,” a San Jose State spokesperson said in a statement. “We remain committed to supporting our student-athletes through the challenges the team has faced and in their ability to compete in an inclusive, fair, safe and respectful environment.”

Teams that refuse to participate in a game against a team officially forfeit the game and are charged with a loss “for the purposes of conference records, standings, tie formulas and participation in MW championships,” according to the Mountain West Conference policy.

Utah State argues that the decision to forfeit the games should not count as a loss, and that the conference’s policy hurt the team’s winning percentage and chances to advance competitively.

Other plaintiffs argue that their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated, along with Title IX protections, by the policy allowing trans players to participate.

The Mountain West Conference follows the participation standards of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). NCAA Transgender Participation Guidelines – Compliant with Olympics standards — vary from sport to sport. As it stands, transgender student-athletes typically need to document sport-specific testosterone levels throughout the competitive season.

Utah State and the Mountain West Conference did not respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.

The transgender community – who make up less than 1% of the adult population and around 3% of the population of secondary school age — has been the target of political campaigns for Republicans, many of whom have supported a wave of legislation limiting their bathroom use, sports participation and access to gender-affirming health care.

Research on whether transgender people have an advantage physiologically remains up for debate, according to researchers.

A study in British Journal of Sports Medicine found that the athletic advantages of the 46 trans women compared to their cisgender counterparts were reduced with feminization therapy. However, this study also found that they had a 9% faster average running speed than cisgender women after a one-year period of testosterone suppression.

Meanwhile another study i American Journal of Sports Medicine found that there is no direct or consistent research yet to suggest that transgender people have an athletic advantage at any stage of their transition.

Restrictions on hormone levels have affected athletes with differences in gender development, such as those who are intersex or have naturally high testosterone levels.

Abby Cruz of ABC News contributed to this report.