In 1958, a group of passionate alumni living in San José formed the Spartan Foundation to raise funds for San José State Athletics. Over the next five decades, the Spartan Foundation's prominence grew throughout the region, operating as a 501(c)(3) raising funds primarily for student-athlete scholarship support. Under the leadership of incredible supporters, the lives of many student-athletes were enriched through the Spartan Foundation.

As the required oversight by the NCAA shifted, fundraising for Athletics at San José State transitioned to main campus under the direction of University Advancement in 2018. As a result, the 501(c)(3) status of the Spartan Foundation dissolved and the annual fund was rebranded as the Spartan Athletics Fund with a focus to raise funds for Athletics operating costs.

In 2020, Athletics fundraising oversight returned to Athletics through a partnership with the Tower Foundation. After a thorough review to ensure the integrity of operations, a return to many principles of the original Spartan Foundation were implemented.

In 2021, San José State Athletics announced the launch of One Spartan Nation. This movement aims to unify all Spartan alumni and friends who make a gift to any area of Athletics with particular focus on transforming the lives of student-athletes through scholarship.