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Stephen F. Austin State University announced today that it will reduce the number of athletics programs it sponsors by four, effective at the end of the current academic year. The decision was based on sustained departmental budget deficits and the anticipated financial impact of upcoming revenue-sharing requirements with Division I athletes.

The four programs affected are bowling, men’s and women’s golf and beach volleyball. SFA will honor all scholarships at their existing levels to student-athletes who choose to stay at the university to finish their academic work and graduate. Student-athletes who wish to transfer to another institution to continue their athletic careers will have the full support and services of the SFA athletics administration to assist them in the transfer portal process.

According to Michael McBroom, director of athletics, the moves are designed to strengthen the department’s financial position and allow it to operate within its means while retaining and investing in the championship aspirations of each of the 14 NCAA varsity programs and nationally acclaimed cheer and dance teams.

“Decisions like these are never easy, but they are made in the best interest of the athletic program and the university as a whole,” said McBroom. “Over the past year, we have made significant progress in reducing annual athletics expenditures, especially in our travel costs. Unfortunately, those efforts have not been enough. In order for SFA Athletics to deliver the best possible championship experience for all of our student-athletes in the face of very real economic and facility challenges, we made the difficult decision to reduce the number of sports we sponsor.”

SFA joins a growing number of institutions across the country that have decided to discontinue athletic teams, citing the financial pressures tied to the changing college athletics landscape, including the looming $2.8 billion House vs. NCAA settlement.

“The changes we announce today, while difficult in the interim, will better position us moving forward in terms of fiscal responsibility,” McBroom said. “We are committed to improving our facilities and funding as we move into the next era of SFA Athletics.”

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY

Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 40 academic facilities, 11 residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering over 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.

By University Marketing Communications

Students from Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Theatre and Dance recently returned from an immersive five-day trip into the heart of Broadway and the performing arts industry, as part of the program’s inaugural industry intensive in New York City.

Led by CC Conn, professor of lighting and sound design, and Zeke Bocklage, associate professor of acting and musical theatre, seventeen students of various classifications and theater focuses experienced the industry from multiple angles by attending performances, participating in workshops and connecting with professionals working on some of the biggest stages in the world.

“There’s a huge difference between learning about this industry in a classroom and actually stepping into it,” Bocklage said. “For our students, this trip wasn’t just about seeing Broadway shows, it was about witnessing the scale, rigor and humanity behind the work directly in the heart of our industry. They got to meet people who have built careers doing what they love, and in many cases, people who started in shoes just like theirs. That kind of exposure is incredibly grounding. It demystifies the industry and helps students see where they fit and what it really takes to get there.”

Highlights included Broadway productions such as “Boop! The Musical,” “Maybe Happy Ending” and “A Night of Brown Excellence: South Asians on Broadway,” which was followed by a talkback with the show’s creative team about representation and identity in the industry. Students also saw “Death Becomes Her,” “Hadestown,” “John Proctor is the Villain” and Stephen Sondheim’s “Old Friends.” Additionally, the students attended and participated in a taping of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

The group went behind the scenes at the John Golden Theatre with Valarie LaMour of IATSE Local-1, and the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre with SFA alumnus Bobby Malbrough, who shared insight into Broadway’s day-to-day operations. They also met Chele Ware, SFA Distinguished Alumna and properties chief for “Saturday Night Live.” Ware spoke candidly about her career path and the connection between live theater and television.

In addition to cultural stops at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Broadway, students participated in workshops and info sessions with the Actors’ Equity Association, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Electronic Theatre Controls, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and Maggie Flanigan Studio, where they explored Meisner-based training.

“There’s no substitute for this kind of firsthand experience,” Conn said. “It gave our students a vision for what’s possible, and a network of professionals and alumni who’ve walked this path before them.”

The industry intensive is part of the school’s ongoing commitment to blending academic training with real-world, up-to-date opportunities, giving students a clearer view of their future in the arts.

For more information, visit the school’s website.

ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY

Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 40 academic facilities, 11 residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering over 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.

By University Marketing Communications