Local Leaders Launch Matching Fund to Cover Basketball Scholarship Gaps

Cal State San Marcos basketball players are starting their season with a financial gap that local leaders are working to close. The university’s men’s and women’s teams have lower scholarship funding levels than most other programs in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. This disparity affects how the school recruits and keeps players who also want to earn degrees.

Carleen Kreider, a board director for the CSUSM Foundation, and Dick Lansing, a lecturer in the College of Business Administration, set up a matching gift challenge. Their goal is to expand scholarship opportunities for basketball student-athletes. They hope to close the gap between CSUSM and its conference rivals.

The need for additional funds is visible in the daily lives of current players. Dexter Stratton, a power forward from Chula Vista, chose CSUSM after a stint at a community college. He is studying finance. Stratton said his parents were thankful he could play at home while pursuing a degree. He noted that the university provides resources that help him succeed in both sports and academics.

Portia Polo, a second-year student-athlete, arrived from Washington state to study public health. She relies on athletic and academic scholarships to avoid financial stress. Polo said the scholarships allow her to focus on her studies and games without worrying about making ends meet. She described the support as a vote of confidence in her potential.

Kreider said that meeting these students shows why the funding matters. She said they are talented and driven, and the community wants to support them financially and emotionally. Lansing added that investing in these students impacts their futures, their families, the university, and the wider community.

All gifts made for these scholarships count toward the CSUSM Blueprint for the Future fundraising campaign. The university competes in one of the strongest conferences in the country as an NCAA Division II program. Student-athletes must balance practices, travel, and competition while working toward their degrees.

Stratton and Polo are two of the athletes who benefit from the current scholarship structure. Their stories helped inspire the new matching challenge. The season is about to begin, and the new fund is ready to accept contributions.