California Baptist University Cuts Three Men’s Sports, Sparking Protests from Athletes and Alumni

A difficult decision by California Baptist University is sending shockwaves through its athletic community.

In January, the university announced it would discontinue three men’s sports programs — golf, swim and dive, and wrestling — surprising athletes and supporters alike. The private Christian university, located in Riverside just over an hour from Palm Springs, said the programs would be fully cut as part of athletic department changes.

For student-athletes like David Alonso, a Palm Desert High School graduate and sophomore wrestler, the announcement was life-altering.

Alonso said he and his teammates were informed abruptly that the wrestling program would be discontinued. He described his mind “racing” as questions about his academic and athletic future flooded in. While the university has indicated it would honor scholarships, Alonso says wrestling was the driving force behind his decision to pursue higher education.

Now, he’s facing the possibility of transferring out of state to continue competing — a move that would take him farther from family and the teammates he considers brothers.

One of those teammates is Guillermo, someone Alonzo has wrestled alongside since childhood and through their time at Palm Desert High School. The pair’s journey from local high school mats to collegiate competition is now uncertain.

In a statement released in January, Vice President for Athletics Dr. Micah Parker said the university is committed to supporting impacted student-athletes as they navigate next steps in their academic and athletic careers.

But alumni and current wrestlers say they want more than support — they want dialogue. They are calling on university leadership, including Dr. Parker and Dr. Ellis, to sit down and explore possible alternatives that could preserve the program.

The movement to save CBU wrestling has gained traction beyond campus, drawing online support and even attention from Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin.

As the season winds down, athletes say they are fighting to keep their program alive — not just for themselves, but for future generations of wrestlers who dreamed of competing at the collegiate level.

NBC Palm Springs has reached out to CBU’s athletic department for additional comment on the reasoning behind the cuts but has not yet received a response.