Message from the President: BBW Thank You & Athletics News

Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 12:51pm

Good day Seawolves,

Talk about a great time to be at Sonoma State!

I want to thank everyone who took part in the planning and execution of Big Blue Weekend October 2-4. Our campus was absolutely buzzing with activity during those three days, as Harvest Night on Friday rolled right on into Saturday’s Seawolf Discovery Day and SSU Palooza and Community Day, with Sunday’s Bingo, Bubbles & Brunch and Golden Grads celebrations putting a perfect bow on the whole package.

Students (prospective and current), parents, families, faculty, staff, alumni, and countless community members made Sonoma State part of their weekend, and we showed them more than a good time: They were reminded that Sonoma State is an academic powerhouse, a valued resource, and an engaged community partner. Kudos and huzzahs all around for showing off what makes SSU great!

Even more great news: Today we are officially welcoming Aaron Landon as men’s basketball coach, making him the first coach brought on board as Sonoma State works toward the new launch of NCAA Division II athletics in fall 2027.

Coach Landon, whose first day at SSU will be October 15, most recently led Division II St. Martin’s University in Lacey, WA to three Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) regular-season championships and to two NCAA Division II regionals in five years. During his head-coaching tenures at St. Martin’s and at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, WA, he was named Coach of the Year a total of five times.

St. Martin’s men’s basketball also had a 100% senior graduation rate while he was coach, the highest among men’s sports at the university, and was honored as 2025 GNAC academic champions.  

Coach Landon’s record as a leader and educator represents how a balance can be struck between student athletic achievement, personal growth, and academic excellence. As athletics begins a new era, sustaining this balance – and welcoming our communities to witness and engage with how it is achieved – will be essential to all of our athletics programs.

Please join me in welcoming Coach Aaron Landon to the team!

Warmly,