Sonoma State University will be allowed to cut all its athletic programs to try to reduce a nearly $24 million budget deficit, a Sonoma County Superior Court judge ruled Friday.

The university's board of directors decided in January to ax all the university's athletic programs, which competed in the NCAA's Division II, along with several academic departments and degrees.

Seven student-athletes sued the university and its leadership, which resulted in a temporary restraining order on the decision to discontinue the programs. Friday's ruling lifted the restraining order, allowing the cuts to proceed.

The court ruled that the university had followed the necessary procedures to eliminate the programs.

A university spokesperson said the court had ruled that "the law affords [the university] great deference in making decisions that impact the school's survival and solvency."

Sonoma State University is facing a $23.9 million deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. The CSU system could also lose $375 million in annual state funding, if a preliminary budget proposal put forward by Gov. Gavin Newsom is finalized. A revised budget proposal is expected to be released on Thursday.

In addition to the loss of all athletics, the cuts include layoffs of 46 faculty positions, four management positions, 12 staff, and 55 lecturers, according to the California Faculty Association, or CFA.

Sonoma State President Emily Cutrer said in a statement when she announced the cuts that the university had seen a 38% decline in enrollment over the last decade, which contributed to the school's worsening budget outlook.

"The university has had a budget deficit for several years. It is attributable to a variety of factors -- cost of personnel, annual price increases for supplies and utilities, inflation -- but the main reason is enrollment. Student tuition and fees, combined with enrollment-based funding from the California State University, are major revenue components in the university budget," Cutrer said.

Students, athletes, the CFA, lawmakers, and unionized employees have all spoken out about the cuts, holding rallies and community meetings to find alternatives.

The university plans to eliminate 23 academic majors and masters' programs, including bachelor's degrees in earth and environmental sciences, geology and physics, along with master's degrees in English, Spanish and history, among others.