Student-athletes sue Sonoma State over sports cuts

When I transferred from community college to a university, it finally felt like I was getting the classic college experience that you see in movies — attending massive classes, exploring a lovely campus, meeting new people, cheering at sporting events. 

Now, because of a $24 million budget deficit, Sonoma State University plans to eliminate all 11 of its intercollegiate athletic programs. Every NCAA team at Sonoma State, every scholarship, and every opportunity for student-athletes to compete at the college level will be gone.

In a lawsuit filed on March 7 against Sonoma State and its top officials, a group of seven student-athletes claim that the abrupt elimination of all athletic programs and several academic departments was unlawful and detrimental to their education and future careers. 

Citing the school’s budget deficit, the administration defended these cuts by claiming that eliminating athletics alone would result in an annual savings of $3.7 million. The lawsuit, however, argues that the decision was arbitrary, lacked transparency and violated procedural safeguards mandated by California State University regulations.

The student-athletes who filed the suit allege that the university recruited them under false pretenses and neglected to inform them that the athletic programs were about to be eliminated. The lawsuit alleges that administrators encouraged students to enroll even though they knew months in advance that cuts would be made, and they even accepted transfer players’ late applications.

If you’ve ever been to a college game, if you’ve ever worn your school’s colors and cheered from the stands, this should upset you, too. This isn’t just about losing sports; it’s about losing a piece of what makes college feel like a university. 

Hundreds of student-athletes are being abandoned. Some must now transfer if they want to continue playing, while others have no choice but to give up the sports they love. And as someone who isn’t a student-athlete but a huge sports fan, it frustrates me that I no longer have a college team to root for in the future. 

There are different ways to manage costs without gutting the student experience, as shown by other budget-impacted California State University campuses. Compare Sonoma State’s response with how San Francisco State University is addressing its own budget pressures. San Francisco State has cut three of its 13 athletic teams. The decision will impact 44 student-athletes across baseball, men’s soccer and women’s indoor track and field. It’s a painful move: no one wants to see programs go, but San Francisco State estimates the cuts will save up to $1 million annually. 

Cal Poly Humboldt responded to budget shortfalls by restructuring programs and increasing partnerships with community organizations, rather than eliminating athletics altogether.

And at Chico State, officials have taken a balanced approach to their budget shortfall by changing their hiring strategies for faculty and staff, reducing nonessential spending, and delaying some capital projects.

In contrast, Sonoma State is eliminating all NCAA sports, an action with significantly deeper consequences — not only for athletes but also for school culture, alumni engagement and future student recruitment. While other schools are making difficult but measured decisions to reduce costs with minimal impact on the student experience, Sonoma State has taken the nuclear option.

Recent developments only deepen the frustration. Although Sonoma State is receiving $45 million in one-time state funding, interim President Emily Cutrer has stated that the money “will not be used to restore” the university’s athletics programs. Instead, $8 million will be used to “support strategic engagement on long-term funding solutions for SSU athletics.”

So students are left wondering: If not now, then when? If a $45 million injection of public funds isn’t enough to reconsider a decision that affects hundreds of lives, then what would be?

Cutrer has expressed that club sports will be the focus for students still interested in sports on campus. Some people will say, “At least we still have club sports.” 

And yes, club sports do matter. They bring people together, give students a chance to stay active, and create communities built around passion and teamwork. Many club athletes train as hard as intercollegiate athletes and do it all because they love their sport.

But even the most popular club teams often face challenges like limited funding, less attendance and fewer resources. That’s not meant as a knock on the athletes or their commitment, but it does highlight the difference in experience between club sports and NCAA programs. It’s a big leap to expect club teams to carry the same weight when it comes to school pride, athletic opportunity and tradition.

Club sports are not a replacement for the decades of history and tradition that Sonoma State is throwing away. I believe it would be a mistake to let this decision go into effect without a fight. 

Right now, Sonoma State’s administration is hoping we’ll just accept it and move on. They’re counting on our frustration to fade. But we can’t let that happen, because once school spirit is gone, it’s nearly impossible to get it back.

This decision hurts students. It hurts alumni. It hurts the great faculty on campus, and it hurts the entire Sonoma State community. If we don’t speak up, Sonoma State will never be the same again.

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Marc Duran is a recent communications graduate from Sonoma State University and a member of EdSource’s California Student Journalism Corps.

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