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 student-athletes: Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track & Field, Women's Soccer, Women's Softball, 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.”
2024-25 Athletics Highlights
2024-25 Cross Country and Track & Field
• Men’s Cross Country finished in 21st place at the NCAA Division II West Regional
• Women’s Cross Country finished in 25th place at the NCAA Division II West Regional
• Men’s Track & Field posted the fifth-highest GPA (3.51) in NCAA Division II
• Daisy Salinas earned All-CCAA Honors at the 2025 CCAA Track & Field Championships by placing second in the Steeplechase, and earned individual USTFCCCA Academic Honors
2024-25 Women’s Volleyball
• 2025 team earned first-ever trip to CCAA Tournament Championship match. The Gators had four All-CCAA selections and four CCAA All-Tournament Team selections.
• 2024 team finished with the most wins in program history at 26-7 and finished the season as National Runners-Up and West Region Champions. 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 was named a 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year Top 30 Honoree. DeBoer also earned 2024 AVCA All-American Second Team Honors and CSC Academic All-American Second Team Honors. She is the first Gator to earn both. Izzy Issak and Tamiya Wilson earned AVCA All-American Honorable Mentions.
• Five Gators earned All-CCAA honors, with Kimberly DeBoer earning her third CCAA Setter of the Year Award
2024-25 Men’s Wrestling
• Johnny Lopez won NCAA Division II National Championships at 141 pounds, the program’s 14th individual National Championship in program history, and the program’s first since 2013. Lopez was named MPSF Wrestler of the Year and NWCA Super Region 6 Wrestler of the Year.
• Head Coach Jason Welch was named MPSF Coach of the Year
• The Gators sent two qualifiers to Nationals: Lopez and Kyle Botelho
• Five wrestlers earned CSC Academic All-District: Andre Dargani, Laith Gilmore, Steven Karas, Kydyn Lima, and Sean Yamasaki
• The program was named a NWCA Scholar All-American team with nine Individual Scholar All-Americans. Additionally, 10 Gators were named to the MPSF All-Academic Team.
2024-25 Women’s Softball
• Hosted the NCAA Division II West Regional for the first time in program history
• 2025 CCAA Tournament Champions, also a first in program history. Rylee McDaniel was named Tournament MVP.
• Finished the season ranked No. 22 in NCAA Division II
• Kai DeLeon, Rylee McDaniel, and Mari Takeda Bajan earned D2CCA West Region Honors
• Kai DeLeon and Marley Gonzales earned NFCA All-Region West Honors
• Six Gators were named to the 2025 All-CCAA Softball Teams: Kai DeLeon, Rylee McDaniel, Marley Gonzales, Marissa Jordan, Daniella Guerrera, and Mari Takeda Bajan
• Program earned Easton/NFCA Team Academic Honors; 19 student-athletes earned Scholar-Athlete Honors
• Five Gators were named to the CSC Academic All-District® Team: Kai DeLeon, Rylee McDaniel, Marley Gonzales, Daniella Guerrera, and Kira Nilson
• Five players earned CSC Academic All-District®: Kelsey Burrus, Grace Messenger, Michelle Pham, Brynn Reyes, and Samantha Shim
