ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - For nearly three decades, Sonoma State University helped shape the competitive identity of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. Soon, the Seawolves will do so once again.
 
The CCAA announced on Monday, July 27, that it will welcome back Sonoma State to the conference as a full-time member, beginning in the fall of 2027.
 
“Sonoma State Seawolves have always been fierce competitors in the California Collegiate Athletic Association,” SSU President Michael Spagna said. “We look forward to working with the Association leadership and renewing friendly competition in the conference."
 
The Seawolves will rejoin the CCAA after a two-year hiatus from intercollegiate athletics. Sonoma State will reinstate the sports of men's basketball, women's basketball, men's golf, women's golf, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, volleyball and women's cross country. It will also add men's cross country.
 
"We are excited to share that Sonoma State University will reinstate its athletic department and rejoin the CCAA for the 2027-28 academic year," said CCAA Commissioner Allen Hardison. "This unprecedented return speaks volumes to the strength, resilience and resolve of our membership. I want to pay a huge compliment to SSU President Dr. Michael Spagna and our CCAA Board of Presidents and Chancellors for their vision and collaboration on this project over the last few years."
 
During its 26 seasons in the CCAA (1998-2025), Sonoma State established itself as one of the conference's most successful Division II athletic departments, earning NCAA postseason berths across multiple sports while capturing national championships in men's soccer (2002) and men's golf (2009).
 
SSU's return restores one of the CCAA's longest-standing Division II athletic programs and reunites the conference with an institution that has helped make the CCAA the most decorated conference in Division II. The Seawolves' return also expands opportunities for nearly 200 student-athletes while renewing longtime rivalries and championship traditions across the conference.
 
The Seawolves will return to CCAA competition during the 2027-28 academic year.