In March of 2024, Mark Orr, the Athletic Director for the athletic department for Sacramento State University attended the practice of the Sacramento State Cheerleaders as they prepared for their National Competition in Daytona Beach, Florida.

He explained that to be covered by insurance to go to Nationals, they would have to become a "club". 

The athletes would have to vote on becoming a club. They asked how this would change the program, would they still be NCAA during game seasons, would they still cheer during football, basketball, and volleyball games, can they be insured by an outside vendor for the event?

Mark Orr looked them in their faces and told them if they became a club, the school could help them. Nothing else would change, this would just be a "paper change." CSUS preferred to not insure programs using outside companies.  But don't worry, everything will stay the same.

Today, the first day of the summer session, two days after cheer evaluations and tryouts concluded with teams being posted, the 2023-2024 dance team and cheerleaders received an email from the Athletics Department.

Mark Orr outed himself as a liar.

He let them know that since they wanted to "compete" on their own merits, they were no longer a part of the spirit block at Sac State. Despite the years they have dedicated to perfecting their dance, cheers, tumbling, and stunting, they would no longer sit in front of a crowd and cheer on their teams. 

The athletic department (which has had no time to offer a STUNT program or competitive cheer program as part of its school athletics program) will be forming a committee to find a director for this new spirit squad. Then they will advertise widely to get applicants, interview, and hire them. That person will then develop a program how they would like, have tryouts, pick their team, coach them, and get uniforms for them.

To add insult to injury, Mr. Orr thinks so little of these athletes that he believes he will have all of this done in the next 80 or so days since this is now the squad you will see at Hornet Fest and welcome back activities.

Many of the current Sac State Cheerleaders live on campus. In the past, they have spent their own money to stay near campus before the dorms open to practice, train, and workout to be ready to cheer on their Hornet Athletics.

Everything about the way Mr. Orr and Sac State Athletics has handled this screams vindictive, retalitory, immature, and egotistical. 

Please encourage Sac State Athletics to rethink this decision and put spirit back in the hands of cheer and dance. I also suggest they rethink who is leading their Athletic Department going forward.