SUNY Oswego’s Student Association campaigns for funding equality

OSWEGO, N.Y. — Club sports have existed for years at SUNY Oswego, but there has been a recent split in funding for men’s and women’s teams – men’s teams are receiving significantly more funding.

Emily Stasko is the club rugby team’s vice president and public relations director for the student association. She’s dealt with this discrepancy firsthand.

“We’ve had our fair share of disappointments through Student Association, which kind of sparked the idea to look into this,” said Stasko.

Women’s teams receive 65% less funding annually than men’s teams. Women’s hockey and softball suffer the worst gap, earning up to 86% less annually.

Stasko teamed up with SA Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Omar van Reenen to propose a solution.

“We would like to create a bill that’s going to address this inequality, so that we can make sure each and every women’s club team has the same opportunity and an equal playing field,” said van Reenen.

This proposed bill will revamp the Student Association’s funding plan and allocate money where it is needed most.

“We have to make sure that we don’t have one rubric that’s clearly outdated,” said van Reenen. “You can’t fund a sports team the same way you’re going to fund an organization.”

The Student Association aims to finalize the bill by early March. 

Members of the women’s club teams have gained support through social media, using the hashtag #EqualPayforEqualPlay.