San Francisco State University is set to cut three of its 13 athletic teams by summer.
Per the university, the cuts will affect 44 student-athletes in baseball, men's soccer, and women's indoor track and field. The university added that the cuts will help save up to $1 million annually.
SFSU added that its athletic programs have caused a $1.2 million deficit from overspending on scholarships alone.
"Sadness, frustration, confusion, I'll be honest, there was anger, there was disappointment, I was sad for the players, alums," said Tony Schifano, head coach of SF State Baseball.
SF State president Lynn Mahoney said the cuts were painful but necessary for the university's future.
"I want to explicitly thank the coaches who have been committed to the success of our student-athletes. Sadly, though, we must take this important step to give our athletics program an opportunity for long-term sustainability," she said.
Last fall, the university formed a task force to address the ongoing budget shortfall in athletics. The intern director of athletics was part of the task force and said a number of factors were considered when deciding which teams to cus, including retention, fundraising, and four-year students.
"It's devastating, I'm not going to lie, it's really tough for all of us involved, but these budget cuts that are continuing to affect us are just really difficult," said Brandon Davis, the interim director. "We’ve got to be able to produce the best possible outcome for the majority of our students.”
Returning students on the teams cut will be helped to identify other opportunities or honor their commitment to existing scholarships if they choose to stay.
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For Schifano, who's in his tenth season at the university, he is making a promise to his team.
"I made a promise and obligation to them that I will help every single one of them find a new home after the spring," he said. "The first thing I'm going to focus on is the season, finishing the season strong; we have a fantastic team, then, of course, all these young men find a home next year, and then I'll worry about myself.”
The move comes as California State University campuses deal with a declining enrollment since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In January, Sonoma State University announced it was cutting its entire athletics program come next fall to face $24 million.
Changes at SF State are set to start in July.
