After already terminating three sports for next year, the San Francisco State University athletics program is in danger of being ceased altogether if they are unable to find long-term financial sustainability. In hopes of saving the program, the athletics department has proposed an increase to the existing Instructionally Related Activities-Athletics fee. 

Currently, SFSU students are paying $68 per semester and $4 in the summer for athletics. 

The proposal is for a $32 increase, totaling $100 per semester starting in Fall 2025. Following the upcoming school year, a $25 increase will be implemented each year for the next three years. Then, a 5% increase over time. The IRA-Athletics fee is mandatory and covered by financial aid programs.

According to Brandon Davis, interim athletics director, if no changes are made to the IRA-Athletics fee, the program will lose its general fund money and be cut from the university after the 2025-26 school year.

“This amount, which was last increased more than 15 years ago, no longer covers the escalating costs of maintaining a competitive and inclusive NCAA Division II program,” said Davis. “To keep the show going, we have got to be able to sustain ourselves moving forward. The student fee increase is the only way to do it in this short amount of time.” 

The increase will take athletics out of the school’s general fund money, which will effectively free up money for other aspects of campus. 

Other university fees have increased by 5% over time. 

“We haven’t kept up with the pace of inflation for athletics,” said David Schachman, student affairs and enrollment management director of business operations. “It’s stagnated for 15 years, and athletics has paid a hefty price.” 

If an increase had been put into place earlier, the rate would be at $150 per semester, which places athletics at a near $100 deficit.

Neighboring universities have already adopted a similar plan. Fresno State University has passed a $5 million increase, and other schools, such as Sacramento State University and California State University, San Marcos, are currently in identical processes. 

As of now, SFSU is in the middle of the pack of total campus mandatory fees, compared to other California State University campuses. 

In a time when tuition is already increasing at the university, extra fees may scare students away from approving the athletic department’s proposal. However, Davis asks students to look at the broader picture.

“At some point, we also have to invest in what’s important at San Francisco State. What does the university want to look like?” Davis asked. “We talk so much about how we’ve been known as a commuter campus for so long, but we don’t want to be that anymore. We want people to have something to do on campus. If we’re not here on the weekends, what is? What fills that void? And for an extra $32, we provide an awful lot.” 

The impact of cutting athletics isn’t just targeted at the student-athletes; other parts of the university will feel its absence. The loss of athletics will affect several university programs.

“With athletics being removed, that removes opportunities for BECA to broadcast games and for GGX to be able to recap our events,” said Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Vice President Brayden Concepcion. “A domino effect will happen because there’s a connection between everything on our campus. So, once you remove that little connection with athletics, it’s just going to make it harder for the rest of the campus.” 

Concepcion said that being on the wrestling team has shown him what a true community is like. He also compares athletics to family as he has been able to find growth in himself while being surrounded by those with similar goals. 

Kimberly DeBoer, SAAC Co-President, shares an alike sentiment and appreciates the connections athletics has brought to the university. 

“The community that has grown around athletics because of the connection it’s created to all students on campus is something special,” DeBoer said. “Feeling the support from other club sports, student organizations and departments towards athletics shows how beneficial our connections are for us all.”  

The removal of Gator athletics would leave hundreds of student-athletes in a position of uncertainty. With an already crowded transfer portal, athletes are forced to make tough decisions regarding their athletic future. Along with that, coaches and athletics staff will officially lose their jobs and transition away from the lifestyles they have been accustomed to. 

Senior basketball guard Tyjean Burrell recounted his experience with the athletics program and how much it means to him. 

“I’m definitely proud to be a Gator and I don’t regret ever coming here,” Burrell said. “I definitely value my experiences and the relationships I made here. I hope that in the future they can figure something out to work and continue because this is a school with a long history.”  

Students will be able to vote on the proposed increase through a survey that will be released to their emails in the coming days. The survey will consist of nine questions, with its final question asking if students are in favor of the fee increase. SAAC President Kelsey Burrus pleads for her fellow students to bring in change. 

“The students are the ones making a change,” Burrus said. “The legislators and those making the decision will not listen to faculty and staff, they’re going to listen to the students and the athletes. So, we need to come together as one, as a student body and make a change.”

This story deck was updated to correct the name of the fee.