Gator Athletics offers 10 sports, enrolling 180 student-athletes
Gator Athletics has a proud tradition of competitive success within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The department offers 10 intercollegiate sports programs to 180 students: Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Women's Soccer, Softball, Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball, and Men's Wrestling. Our programs emphasize academic performance as well as athletic achievement and offer student-athletes the opportunity to reach educational goals and pursue athletic accomplishments.
Donations to San Francisco State University Athletics are directed toward scholarships. These funds allow students to focus on studying and training and give our teams a competitive edge. Scholarships offered to student-athletes can inspire students to complete their degrees at SF State, instead of transferring to colleges that offer athletes full tuition remission.
Your support enables our student-athletes to reach their potential in the classroom, community, and on the playing field.
Vic Rowen Scholarship Fund
Vic Rowen (1919-2013) was the esteemed head coach of San Francisco State University’s football team from 1961-1989. His early tenure established SF State as a West Coast football powerhouse. In his honor, the Gator Gridiron Club created the Vic Rowen Scholarship in 2001. To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the inception of the fund, the Club is now spearheading a fundraising campaign to permanently endow the fund with $150,000.
SF State Student Athletes
The average GPA for Gator student-athletes was 3.495 in fall 2024
Gator student-athletes maintain an 82% graduation rate, the second-highest in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)
More than 250 Gator student-athletes achieved All-American status in their sport
160 Gator student-athletes earned Scholar status (3.5 GPA or above) in fall 2024
Athletics Impact News
From Mat to Mission: Keith Spataro’s journey of impact
Keith Spataro's journey is deeply intertwined with his time as a student-athlete at SFSU, where he discovered the determination and community spirit that continue to inspire his philanthropy today as a donor to the Spataro Alumni Wrestling Scholarship.
Johnny Mathis — yes, the singer — was a track star. 70 years later, he’s still giving back to SFSU.
Singer Johnny Mathis, San Francisco high-jump champion in the 1950s, has supported SFSU track & field for more than four decades. Read the San Francisco Chronicle profile of him.
Student Spotlight: Softball student-athlete Brylynn Vallejos
In addition to the team and campus, scholarships drew Brylynn to SFSU: “Scholarships have been a big help for me, especially coming from out of state. It helps me pay for my tuition and living expenses [and] ensures our sport runs smoothly.”
2024 Athletics Highlights
Cross Country 2024
• Men’s team finished in 21st place at the NCAA Division II West Regional
• Women’s team finished in 25th place at the NCAA Division II West Regional
2024 Women’s Volleyball
• Team finished 26-7 as the National Runners-up. Set numerous season records, including most wins in a season, single season individual kill record (Izzy Issak with 495), and single season individual assist record (Kimberly DeBoer with 1,392)
• Kimberly DeBoer earned AVCA All-American Second Team Honors and CSC Academic All-American Second Team Honors. She is the first Gator to earn both, and she was also named an NCAA Top 30 Finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year. Izzy Issak and Tamiya Wilson earned AVCA All-American Honorable Mention.
• Win over Cal State LA at NCAA West Region was the first in program history
• Five Gators earned All-CCAA honors, with Kimberly DeBoer earning her third CCAA Setter of the Year Award
Men’s Soccer 2024
• Issay Bravo and Isaac Sandoval earned All-CCAA honors
Women’s Soccer 2024
• Samantha Shim Earned All-CCAA honors
• Five players earned CSC Academic All-District® (Kelsey Burrus, Grace Messenger, Michelle Pham, Brynn Reyes, and Samantha Shim)
