The University of California, Davis has abruptly discontinued its highly ranked intercollegiate equestrian program, a move that has left student-athletes uncertain about their futures just months after the team secured its third conference championship in March.

UC Davis announced in January that it would eliminate the equestrian program, citing financial concerns based on an external review conducted by Collegiate Consulting. The decision came as a shock to team members and their families, who say it effectively stranded athletes with limited options, especially since the deadline to transfer to other schools had already passed. Some individuals recently recruited to the team reported being denied standard admission to the university following the program’s cancellation.

While the university pointed primarily to budgetary challenges as the reason for cutting the program, documents and emails provided by parents suggest a different narrative. These records indicate that university officials continued to recruit student-athletes and seek donations for the program up until a month before the public announcement. Internal discussions about discontinuing the equestrian team reportedly had been underway for over a year prior to the termination.

Critics have also challenged the financial assessment underpinning the decision. An independent audit commissioned by UC Davis has come under scrutiny for allegedly misrepresenting the program’s costs. Supporters of the team argue that, contrary to the university’s claims, the equestrian program could generate up to $700,000 annually for the institution.

Among those affected is Rosemary Fritsch, whose daughter Rayna had been recruited to UC Davis in October 2024, at a time when decision-makers were already planning to cut the program. Fritsch described receiving the termination notice via email as “devastating.” Though her daughter was reportedly offered the option to remain enrolled, other parents report that their children faced wait-listing or outright denial of admission following the program’s cancellation.

The timeline surrounding the closure and the accuracy of the financial audit continue to be the focus of growing criticism. Supporters of the equestrian team claim that athletics director Rocko DeLuca sought to portray the program as financially unsustainable as a pretext for its elimination. Legal action has been initiated against DeLuca and other university officials, accusing them of “fraudulently inflating the equestrian program’s budget” and misleading recruits while knowing the program’s fate months in advance.

Additionally, the university’s police department has opened an investigation into potential wire fraud related to the solicitation of donations for a program that was in the process of being discontinued. The inquiry reflects ongoing tensions as the UC Davis community grapples with the abrupt loss of a nationally recognized athletic program.