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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec
San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

SDSU agrees to pay $300K to settle Title IX lawsuit alleging unequal treatment of female athletes

17 female student-athletes filed the suit in 2022, citing a lack of equal scholarship dollars
by Iain Henderson, Senior Staff Reporter • April 23, 2026
Categories:
Isabella Biunno
Hepner Hall building on San Diego State University’s Campus in San Diego California on Sept. 7, 2023.

The administration at San Diego State University was hit with a bombshell on April 20. After a nearly four-year legal process, the university has agreed to cough up $300k in damages, along with another $1.3 million in attorneys’ fees incurred by the opposing party.

As the San Diego Union-Tribune reported, over 800 former female student-athletes who attended the university between 2018 and 2025 will be receiving the historic $300k.

The lawsuit was originally filed in 2022 by 17 athletes on SDSU’s track and field and rowing teams.

Those athletes include former SDSU rower Madison Fisk, who, in a statement released by Arthur Bryant Law, proclaimed the importance of the settlement.

“We are extremely proud we fought SDSU’s sex discrimination against its female athletes and won this groundbreaking settlement. SDSU is going to comply with Title XI in the future and pay for violating it in the past,” Fisk said.

SDSU’s ruling also prioritized the future.

Beyond the money, SDSU agreed to hire a mutually agreed-upon outside expert to conduct a Gender Equity Review, develop a Gender Equity Plan, provide entirely equal athletic financial aid, treatment and benefits to current and future female athletes, all while making sure its athletic department aligns with all Title IX requirements by the end of the 2026-2027 school year.

As reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune, the equal athletic treatment includes, but is not limited to: professional photography, recorded and streamed home games, and equal publicity for both men’s and women’s teams.

Title XI was created in 1972 to prevent gender based discrimination in education programs that use federal funding, though according to some, Title XI violations are common in schools around the nation.

In a statement published by Arthur Bryant Law, Lori Bullock of Bullock Law PLLC stated:

“Schools need to address these inequities now, not after female athletes file suit, and hopefully, the prospect of paying damages will spur stronger compliance efforts throughout college athletics.”

Although SDSU’s situation marks the first case in which a university will pay for depriving female athletes of equal athletic financial aid, lead attorney Arthur Bryant promised similar settlements would follow.

“This is the first school to pay class-wide damages to female athletes for discriminating against them in violation of Title XI. But it sure won’t be the last,” Bryant said in a statement published by his own firm.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the plaintiffs alleged that between 2010 and 2020, female student-athletes were robbed of $5.36 million in financial aid. They mentioned a key example: in 2018, a year in which female athletes outnumbered their male counterparts 316 to 221, male athletes received $4.6 million, while women received $4.58 million.

Although SDSU settled with the plaintiffs, it vehemently denies any consistent violations of Title XI rules, noting that the judge did not determine which side prevailed.

The settlement makes it clear that SDSU must comply with all provisions of Title XI in the future to avoid further consequences.

About the Contributors
Iain Henderson, Senior Staff Reporter
Born and raised in San Diego, California, Iain Henderson is a second-year SDSU student pursuing a degree in Journalism and Public Relations. He also is working towards a minor in communication. This school year marks his second year writing for The Daily Aztec. He joined the team in order to sharpen his writing and interviewing skills while attaining real world experience. He hopes to land in the sports field of journalism after graduation, whether that be broadcasting or writing. Although he enjoys all sports, football, baseball and golf l are his true loves. Outside of his work he enjoys working out, listening to his favorite music and golfing.
Isabella Biunno
Isabella Biunno, 2025 Co-Editor-in-Chief, ’24-25 Managing Editor, ’23-24 Photo Editor
Isabella Biunno is the Co-Editor-in-Chief for The Daily Aztec. She is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada where she was a part of publications for seven years. She is a fourth-year Psychology major with an emphasis in Neuroscience, and she plans to attend graduate school to become a Doctor of Occupational Therapy. She loves photography, editing, and creating, and she can’t wait to continue contributing to the DA. One thing she is passionate about outside of photojournalism is being involved in the disability community. She was an instructor at SDSU’s Adaptive Fitness Clinic, president of the Pre-Occupational Therapy Student Association, and a board member for a nonprofit called Mentoring Autistic Minds. She worked as an instructor at a company back home called Inclusion Fusion where she was able to work with individuals with disabilities. Although her career-related passions fall in the healthcare field, she enjoys journalism just as much. She looks forward to expanding her experience as an editor this year.