Sonoma State University is relaunching NCAA Division II athletics after eliminating sports amid a budget crisis. Beginning in the 2027–28 academic year, the university plans to sponsor 10 Division II teams in the California Collegiate Athletic Conference, with recruitment set to begin once coaching and staffing positions are filled. The planned return includes women’s basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball and volleyball and men’s basketball, cross country, golf and soccer. Sonoma State’s internal feasibility effort recommended restarting sports to support enrollment, budget stability, Title IX compliance, school spirit, and community engagement, and it advised athletics be treated as a funding priority. The university says it will use a one-time $8 million state injection dedicated to restart athletics, following a larger $45 million state infusion last June aimed at stabilizing finances. The announcement also follows a lawsuit brought by athletes that challenged the decision to shutter programs.