Sonoma State Dropping Athletics

[D2Rover]

Only article I can find so far is paywalled (https://www.pressdemocrat.com/articl...ert-park-cuts/), but Sonoma State apparently announced today that they are cutting all D2 athletic programs along with a bunch of faculty and academic programs. I believe it takes effect over the summer, not certain.

[Goods]

Just saw this. $24 million deficit. Enrollment over the past 10 years has gone from 9400 to 5100. Two dozen degree programs cut. All athletics gone after this year. Many professors, admin and coaches, support staff out. Last two presidents left under duress. Sonoma ain't doing so well.

[Try II]

OOOOF ... have to think some more Cal State system schools will follow suit. Sonoma has been good in lots of sports over the years.

[tsull]

We're not just got division 3? Oh I forgot you have to be private, expensive, Etc.

[Goods]

I still think we're seeing a slow change from school-sponsored athletics to Athletic Corporations that are linked by name only to the schools. I feel Big 10 and SEC (with the Big 12 and ACC hoping to stay relevant) making football a stand alone thing. Then basketball will do it's own thing. Maybe in a few areas baseball too, or wrestling in the midwest. And then those corporations will pay an 8- or 9-figure licensing fee to the schools to still call themselves Notre Dame, Ohio State, but it'll be a link in name only.

I know Sonoma's issues aren't just sports related, but sports aren't sustainable in 2025 and beyond.

Or maybe I'm an idiot and should stay in my lane. I find myself watching very little big school and pro sports and when I do, it's very rarely at my home since I refuse to pay $50-$200+/month for all the streaming services it requires to watch. But I've got my flosports for CWU Athletics.

[Tech Boys]

Sonoma State University coaches file civil rights complaint on behalf of minority athletes to challenge cuts to athletic department

The complaint calls for an investigation into the proposed cuts that have “unfairly targeted a student body that is notably diverse, creating a disparate impact on students from underrepresented communities.”

As the number of Sonoma State athletes entering the transfer portal grows, a second legal effort to stop the planned cancellation of the school’s athletics program is taking shape.

The newly formed Save Seawolves Athletics group, spearheaded by SSU coaches, announced Saturday that it has filed a federal civil rights complaint alleging that the planned elimination of the athletics department will disproportionately affect minority students.

The complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, calls for an investigation into the proposed cuts that have “unfairly targeted a student body that is notably diverse, creating a disparate impact on students from underrepresented communities,” the group stated in a release Saturday morning.

They also argue that student athletes have not been provided with due process and that their “individual challenges have not been given proper consideration in the university’s decision-making process.”

“We believe that the decision to eliminate athletics must be reversed, and that alternatives should be explored within the broader university budget that do not negatively impact marginalized students to such an extent,” Save Seawolves Athletics said in the release. “The lack of transparency in the process — particularly the failure to involve key stakeholders like the Athletics Department and the Student Athlete Council — further underscores the need for an independent investigation.”

The complaint comes a day after coaches announced plans to file a class action lawsuit against the university.

SSU on Wednesday announced the elimination of its 11 athletic programs starting in the fall, part of wide-sweeping cuts at the university to address a $23.9 million budget deficit.

As of Saturday, more than 100 SSU student athletes had entered the NCAA’s Division II transfer portal. The entirety of the men’s golf team and 24 of the 27 players on the men’s soccer team had entered as of Friday night. Six of the 17 players from the volleyball program have already opted to leave the school. Two are enrolling at new schools next year and four freshmen have also left SSU, coaches told The Press Democrat.

Unlike the Division I transfer portal, athletes at the Division II level can enter the portal throughout the year but have certain windows in which to transfer for athletic purposes. SSU athletes have also been granted an exemption to be able to communicate with other schools before they enter the portal.

Coaches have said that in addition to stopping the elimination of sports, another top objective is to help their athletes navigate the next steps and, if necessary, find opportunities at new schools. Some coaches interviewed by The Press Democrat said that if they are successful in stopping the cuts even after current athletes depart, they’ll work to rebuild their programs from the ground up.

A campus town hall meeting is plan for 1:30-3 p.m. Thursday in SSU’s student center ballrooms to address the proposed cuts.

[tsull]

Like I said in many of my posts, most small college administrators do next to nothing in promoting their department. Since they usually don't have full-time marketing people, it should come into the hands of the athletic director. He or she should be going out to local high schools and handing out tickets and meeting people, and meeting local coaches, meeting local businessman. Promoting the athletic department on social media, on the radio, and other places. In my experience they don't do these things.

When Western Oregon about a decade ago really had it rolling in men's basketball there was absolutely nothing downtown about it as in zero, zip. As I noted in a previous post, I went up to a great game at Seattle Pacific about a decade ago, in the beautiful neighborhood of Queen Anne there was nothing that even showed that there was a university within two or three blocks.

Not only does enrollment suffer because of this but athletics certainly does. At these schools you have to work harder. Berkeley, Stanford, Oregon State, Oregon, sell themselves in their own states. You can't just wake up and think people are going to say, "Let's go to Sonoma State."

Administration at small colleges is really weak. They literally don't understand why no one goes to their games or even attend their university..

[Tech Boys]

Another lawsuit. Seven student-athletes are now suing Sonoma State. They need to get more students involved whether they are athletes or just students from any of the dropped academic programs to make a better impact.

Student-athletes sue Sonoma State over athletic department cuts

[Goods]

SF State eliminating baseball, men's soccer, women's indoor T & F.

https://www.kqed.org/news/12030322/s...-spending-cuts

East Bay is next according to this article. All of us football people always wish football would return (nobody expects that of course), but this thread makes me think that sports in general might get the cut. The largest state in the Union in terms of population can't even fund sports teams. That comment alone can get political, which I don't come on these boards for, so I'll stop talking.

[Tech Boys]

East Bay just dropped Women's Water Polo after the 2024 season.

[tsull]

When it comes down to literally is the athletic administrators don't want to raise money. I've seen that at a lot of small colleges. I asked about what they do and they say they will not go out and talk to people,. Not just at my alma mater but other places, they don't want to raise money it's not in their skill set.

Number two they don't know how to raise money. They want to have athletics but have no idea how to get the money to make it run. I've seen it on small colleges all over the Northwest. Then when somebody does the raise the money like the football booster group at Western Washington, they flip them off. Small college administrators are tough bunch. I'm being nice here.