Ongoing budget cuts at state universities are forcing the elimination of several sports programs, leaving student-athletes to reconsider their college commitments.
In recent months, multiple California state universities have cut NCAA teams from their athletic departments, with some eliminating entire sports programs. These cuts often target non-revenue sports like swimming, track, and gymnastics. They are driven by shrinking budgets, declining enrollment, and looming financial obligations, including the NCAA’s $2.8 billion settlement over name, image, and likeness (NIL) revenue.
For student-athletes, these cuts don’t just affect school finances. They disrupt years of training, commitment, and plans for the future.
Several schools have already made significant cuts. Sonoma State University eliminated all 11 of its NCAA Division II sports teams, citing a budget deficit. Meanwhile, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo announced the end of its Division I men’s and women’s swim and dive programs, affecting dozens of athletes and recruits who had committed to the school.
These changes hit non-revenue sports the hardest, which are programs that don’t generate ticket sales or media rights income like football or basketball.
For Ava Goh, a senior at Aragon High School, the loss of Cal Poly’s dive program changed everything.
“At first, I thought it was a joke, I thought it couldn’t be real, then I saw it all over social media and the news. The team was just gone,” Goh said.
Goh had just signed with Cal Poly when she received an email about a Zoom meeting for recruits. “I thought I was all set academically and athletically. I just had my signing day. I was so excited. To work so hard for something and have it taken away suddenly was shocking,” Goh said.
Goh had turned down other college offers and suddenly had to start over. The emotional impact hit just as hard as the logistical one.
“The hardest part was not knowing what would happen. Most athletes sign in their junior year. I was back at square one late in my senior year,” Goh said.
Goh eventually found a new home on the UC Davis swim and dive team, where she continues to pursue both academics and athletics. But not every student ends up that lucky, and many fear they’ll face the same disruption she did.
A new layer of uncertainty has been added to the already intense college recruitment process.
Angela Picht, a sophomore varsity swimmer, is just beginning to explore her college options. The news of teams being cut has shifted her mindset.
“It’s scary. I’ve always wanted to swim in college, but now it feels risky to aim for a program that might not be there in a year,” Picht said.
Picht says she is now prioritizing colleges with long-standing, stable programs, even if they weren’t originally her first choice
“You just don’t know who’s next. You don’t want to work toward a goal that disappears right when you get there,” Picht said.
She’s already seen the effects firsthand.
“My brother swims for the University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara). They don’t even have a stable pool to practice in,” Picht said. “It’s really scary that a sport I love and grew up doing can be taken away so fast,” Picht said.
According to the NCAA, only about 7% of high school athletes go on to compete in college. With fewer roster spots due to team cuts, the competition is even harder, especially for non-revenue sports like swim, track, and gymnastics.
Carlmont sophomore Devyn Olivera, a gymnast, is adjusting her entire life around the dream of college athletics. She’s switching to an online high school next year to train more and boost her recruitment chances.
According to Olivera, the impact of budget cuts varies wildly depending on the sport.
“I’ve seen diving teams and entire programs cut. In women’s gymnastics, roster limits have gone up, and more money is being poured into the sport because of new policies that let us earn more. It’s helped me, but men’s gymnastics is the opposite. Their programs are barely hanging on,” Olivera said
These changes have also raised questions of fairness. Most cuts have hit non-revenue sports, but the athletes are just as committed.
“It doesn’t feel fair that football or basketball never seem to get touched. Those sports matter, but so do we. We train just as hard,” Picht said.
For Goh, the experience was a wake-up call about how fragile athletic programs can be.
“Budget cuts don’t just cut sports, they cut futures,” Goh said. “Student-athletes aren’t just athletes. We’re students, we give back to our schools, and we work hard. Even if our sport isn’t making money, it still matters.”
As universities continue to make tough financial decisions, the ripple effects are being felt across campuses and recruiting classes.
For many student-athletes, their sport is not just their passion. It’s their path to higher education, scholarships, and dreams they’ve spent years chasing. Now, that path may be changing.
