By agreement with the State Federated Council of the CIF and the Board of Managers of the Northern Section, the Section was organized in March 1942 and started to function in September 1942. The Sac-Joaquin Section is a NON-PROFIT California corporation owned and operated by its member schools. The Sac-Joaquin Section does not receive any direct financial support from the State or Federal Government (taxes, lottery, etc.). Dues paid by the Sac-Joaquin Section member schools account for the Sac-Joaquin Section’s annual budget. Marketing sponsorships, merchandise sales, and investments help offset general operating costs. All net proceeds from the Championship events go back to the school sites at the end of each fiscal year. The amount received by the school sites varies according to the number of sports offered by the specific athletic program; program success is not a variable.
SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION FINANCIAL RESOURCES:
| Breakdown of Returns | 2025-2026 Return of Dues Information | Access an itemized breakdown of school and district dues refunds for the 2025–2026 academic year. This detail provides essential documentation for school site accounting clerks and finance staff to verify, track, and accurately allocate incoming refund checks to local accounts. |
| Review Annual Membership Fees | 2026-2027 Annual Membership Fees | View comprehensive itemized rates and fee schedules for 2026–2027 Membership Dues. |
| Review Financial Policies & Governance | CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Financial Policies | Review Section financial guidelines including dual-signature approvals, annual audit rules, postseason financial reporting timelines, payment collection schedules and more. |
The simplest way to think about SJS finances is that they operate under two separate budgets:
- The Operational Budget (Membership Dues): Dues cover the year-round administrative overhead that keeps the Section running things like transfer eligibility processing, rule enforcement, league realignment, professional development, playoff management and coordination, and general governance. Since SJS is a non-profit that receives zero state or taxpayer funding, dues provide the basic operating capital for the Section office and all member schools.
- The Playoff Budget (Playoff Entry Fees): Entry fees are strictly event-driven and cover direct post-season costs like neutral venue rentals, certified playoff officials, security, timing services, and championship awards. Separating this from general dues keeps things fair, so schools only pay for the specific playoff events their teams qualify for and compete in.
How Year-End Refunds Work: Because the Section is a non-profit collective owned by its member schools, any surplus revenue generated throughout the year from ticket sales, marketing sponsorships, and postseason events is not kept by the Section. At the end of the fiscal year, all net proceeds are distributed directly back to member schools as end-of-year refunds. These payouts are based on the total number of sports programs a school offers, ensuring that every active athletic department gets funds returned to support their programs. In short, the dues and entry fees fund the logistics upfront, but the Section’s net profits flow right back into school and/or district athletic budgets at the end of the year.