Watch CBS News
By
/ CBS San Francisco
Student-athletes and coaches at Sonoma State University are preparing to take legal action against the university following its announcement that it will eliminate all NCAA Division II sports programs and cut several academic offerings for the upcoming school year.
The proposed cuts, revealed on Wednesday, include the elimination of 11 athletic programs, faculty layoffs, and the removal of various majors, all set to take effect for the 2025-2026 academic year. In response, student-athletes and coaches are planning to file federal civil rights complaints and a class action lawsuit against the university.
Sophomore Taylor Hodges, a member of the SSU soccer team, will be a plaintiff in the civil rights complaint. She emphasized the disproportionate impact the cuts would have on minority students like her.
“About 50% of the athletic population [at SSU] is of minority students, so I feel like that affects us in a really disproportionate way,” she explained. “This is the biggest call to action I’ve ever had in my life. If I have to fight at any time, it has to be now.”
The student-athletes of color are claiming that the university’s decision to eliminate the sports programs unfairly targets and harms students from underrepresented communities. Coaches are also preparing to file a separate civil rights complaint, echoing similar concerns.
The decision to cut the sports programs was announced just two days into the Spring semester, leaving students and staff with little notice. Coaches and athletes said the lack of prior engagement has only heightened the sense of betrayal.
“I live on campus. So I’ve already paid for housing. I’ve already paid for tuition. If I want to play somewhere in the Spring, I can’t because I just paid for my whole tuition here,” Hodges said.
Marcus Ziemer, the head coach of the men’s soccer team, who has dedicated 39 years to Sonoma State—three as a player and 36 as a coach—described his reaction to the news as emotional.
“Last night, I was talking to my wife, and I broke down. It was just super emotional. You don’t know how hard I’ve worked for this program,” Ziemer shared, as he became emotional. “To find out from a student that I’m done was pretty heart-wrenching.”
Ziemer learned of the cuts via a text message from one of his players, as the university sent out a mass email. He expressed disappointment that administrators did not speak to him directly.
“They didn’t have the guts to look at us, look at me, a 36-year employee, face to face and say, ‘Marcus, we’re so sorry, but we have to cut athletics,'” he said. “I think I deserve that after everything I’ve put in here.”
The cuts have already prompted at least 100 student-athletes to enter the NCAA Division II transfer portal, with more expected to follow. SSU Junior and basketball player Aaron Ragen confirmed that his entire team plans to enter the portal in the coming week, noting that such a move is highly unusual.
“At first, I was angry. Then, you get a little bit worried. Then, you have to think about all the other people who are affected,” said Ragen, as he walked through his emotional roller coastal ride.
The university has justified the cuts by pointing to declining enrollment, which has dropped 38% since 2015, and a projected $24 million deficit for the 2025-2026 school year. However, Hodges and her fellow student-athletes argue that other solutions to the university’s financial struggles should be explored before eliminating sports programs.
“I have the responsibility to speak up, especially for those who don’t want to,” Hodges said. “I feel like I can make an impactful difference.”
Attorneys representing the student-athletes and coaches are currently drafting the civil rights complaints and a class action lawsuit, with plans to file within the next few weeks. The pro bono attorneys are Sonoma State alumni, including former student-athletes who are personally invested in the outcome.
The legal battle is set to add further tension to an already contentious situation, as Sonoma State University faces mounting pressure from students, faculty, and the broader community over its decision to cut athletics and academic programs.
Da Lin is an award-winning journalist at KPIX 5 News. He joined KPIX 5 in 2012, but has been reporting the news in the Bay Area since 2007. Da grew up in Oakland, and before his return to the Bay Area, he spent five years covering the news at three other television stations in Texas, Southern and Central California. He also spent five years reporting at KRON 4.
© 2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
