Sacramento State President Luke Wood announces boxing’s potential return to campus
Boxer Muhammad Ali’s famous phrase, “float like a butterfly, sting like bee” could have new meaning for the Sacramento State Hornets next fall.
Sacramento State President Luke Wood announced the school plans to revive a boxing program for the first time since the early 1960s.
“Sacramento State is bringing back its collegiate boxing team,” Wood, an avid boxer, wrote on his Instagram feed. “We used to have one of the top three boxing programs in the nation, a position that we will soon regain. We have an amazing coach and executive coach that we will be announcing soon.”
The NCAA discontinued boxing in 1961 after a three-decade run. Sacramento State won three individual championships in that time, while nearby San Jose State had the third most in the country with 17.
Sacramento State had four consecutive top-five finishes during the last four years the NCAA sanctioned the sport from 1957 to 1960.
The details of the Hornets’ boxing program have not been announced, however, it’s expected to be a club sport, meaning it wouldn’t be sanctioned by the NCAA.
It’s also unknown where funding for the program will come from and what facilities will be used. Those details, along with the hiring of a coach, is expected in the coming weeks.
The National Collegiate Boxing Association has affiliated club programs throughout the country, including University of California, Berkeley, Santa Clara University, San Jose State, UC Davis and the University of San Francisco. The NCBA sanctions tournaments and national championships each season.
“So, if you’re interested in boxing, either just to stay in shape, stay fit or compete at the amateur level or even maybe go pro, come on over to Sacramento State,” Woods said in his social media post.
This story was originally published December 15, 2023 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Sacramento State President Luke Wood announces boxing’s potential return to campus."
