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Sonoma State to Reinstate Division II Athletics for Fall 2027

University says state support, student fees, tuition from recruited athletes, fundraising, facility revenues, and sponsorships will fund a 10‑team return meant to revive enrollment and campus life.

Students fill a walkway as they move across Sonoma State University campus on April 28 in Rohnert Park.
Sonoma State University President Michael Spagna speaks to the gathering at a reception for the Research, Scholarship and Creativity Symposium at Sonoma State Univeristy on April 28, 2026, in Rohnert Park.
Coach Rich Shayewitz, head coach for the Sonoma State University’s men’s basketball team, leads practice in Rohnert Park in 2025. The university is bringing back 10 sports team after a two-year hiatus.
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Overview

  • Sonoma State announced Monday that it will rejoin NCAA Division II and the California Collegiate Athletic Association with the NCAA minimum of 10 teams competing in 2027–28.
  • The program will bring back women’s basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball and volleyball and men’s basketball, cross country, golf and soccer while not restoring baseball or women’s track and field now.
  • University documents estimate restart spending of about $2.8 million in 2026–27 and annual costs of roughly $6 million to $7 million for the first five years, funded by a mix of state allocations, student fees, tuition from about 186–190 recruited student‑athletes, fundraising, sponsorships and facility revenues.
  • Sonoma State has an interim athletic director and will run national searches for coaches and staff, but faces a compressed timeline to hire personnel, recruit teams, finalize schedules and upgrade facilities before competition begins; litigation and civil‑rights complaints from the 2025 cuts remain unresolved.
  • The move follows January 2025 budget cuts that eliminated athletics to close a near $24 million gap and a decade‑long enrollment decline of about 38 percent, and university leaders say reinstatement is part of a broader campaign to stabilize finances and boost campus vibrancy.