Sonoma State University

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Dear Campus Community,

As I have mentioned before, it’s an exciting time to be at Sonoma State University. Thanks to the concerted efforts of faculty and staff, over the past few months we’ve preserved academic programs once slated for closure, grown our dual enrollment and guaranteed admissions programs, kicked off a campus vibrancy project that will add student-centered amenities and resources this fall, and announced a major upgrade to Nichols Hall that will yield a state-of-the-art facility for nursing students, faculty, and staff. We graduated nearly 2,000 successful students during May’s Commencement ceremonies, new programs are in the offing, and our communities and alumni are freshly energized and optimistic about the future of a reimagined Sonoma State University.

Today I am pleased to announce the latest exciting step in this reimagining of our campus: the launch of NCAA Division II athletics, beginning in the 2027-28 academic year. After five months of research and discussion, a diverse group of community stakeholders, former coaches, campus staff, and faculty members called the Athletics Fiscal Feasibility Team presented three scenarios for the future of Seawolf athletics on June 15. Of the three scenarios, the university is opting for what is described as the “Base Case,” which includes 10 sports:

  • Women’s basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, and volleyball
  • Men’s basketball, cross country, golf, and soccer

Membership in NCAA and CCAA Division II athletics requires a minimum of 10 sports. The committee used the Athletics Task Force Report from January 2026 as a guiding document to determine this mix of programs.

These programs are anticipated to generate broad community interest and philanthropic and spectator engagement, and will be sustainable through a combination of student fees; tuition revenue from new student athletes; significant fundraising and sponsorships; sports camp and use fees for SSU facilities; and direct institutional support, including SSU Commitment funding provided by the state of California in 2025.

More information about this latest step forward for SSU is available in the Athletics Fiscal Feasibility Team’s executive summary, these FAQs, and Sonoma State’s news release. I also welcome your ideas and suggestions — please send them to ssuathletics@sonoma.edu.

My thanks to the Fiscal Feasibility Team and its co chairs, Drs. Gerald Jones and Rob Eyler, and to the entire Sonoma State community for its ongoing work reimagining the university to best serve current students, prospective students, alumni, and everyone who considers SSU part of their lives.

Archive

Good day Seawolves,

I join the Sonoma State community in mourning the passing of Marcus Ziemer, a legend in the North Bay soccer community and a coach for 36 years at SSU – including 35 seasons as head coach of our men’s soccer team, which he led to a NCAA Division II national championship in 2002.

Over the past year, the university convened an Athletics Consultation Task Force with the charge of exploring the future of athletics at Sonoma State University. Its work resulted in a white paper that recommended reinstating NCAA Division II competition. Moving in that direction, however, requires confidence that the program can be sustained through a sound financial model that supports its success long term.

ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – Sonoma State University is “reimagining” its future by developing new programs, revitalizing existing ones, and launching a fiscal feasibility study related to athletics, President Michael Spagna announced during a virtual media briefing Friday.

Spagna emphasized academic momentum, fiscal responsibility, and transparency as central to Sonoma State’s next chapter.

Michael E. Spagna, a longtime CSU administrator strongly committed to shared governance and student-centered outcomes, officially assumed the presidency of Sonoma State University today, becoming the 11th president in SSU’s 65-year history.

The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees has appointed Michael E. Spagna as president of Sonoma State University (SSU). Spagna currently serves as interim president of California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt.  

I hope everyone will join me in thanking the dozens of SSU staff, especially in Facilities Maintenance and Emergency Management, who worked around the clock Saturday through Sunday to remediate the campus water issue and ensure Sonoma State would be fully and safely operational  today.

Sonoma State University is fully committed to complying with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and the California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (CalNAGPRA). These laws are essential in addressing long-standing injustices and in supporting the sovereign rights of Tribal Nations.

My profound thanks to everyone on campus who took part in the WSCUC Accreditation Visit to campus last week. Special thanks to Interim Provost Stacey Bosick and to the WSCUC Steering Committee for their outstanding leadership, and to the staff who supported the logistics necessary to make the WSCUC team’s visit run smoothly.