UND cuts men's and women's tennis
Apr. 30—GRAND FORKS — A week after the UND men's and women's tennis programs reached their highest points in program history, they're both gone. UND announced Thursday that it is cutting both men's and women's tennis, joining a wave of NCAA schools that have eliminated the sport this month.
Arkansas, St. Louis University and Illinois State are among other programs that have announced in recent days their intentions to cut tennis. "This is a difficult day for our department and our community," UND athletic director Bill Chaves said in a statement.
"Over the past five years, Division-I athletics has experienced more change than the previous 30 years combined. This has required us to adapt to a new landscape by reinventing the way we operate our athletic department as well as analyzing the existing resources we have and reallocating those resources moving forward. We are grateful for everything our student-athletes have contributed to our campus and remain committed to supporting them through this transition.
" Both the men's and women's programs reached the Summit League championship on Saturday, falling to the University of Denver in the final. UND says the decision is due to financial reasons. "The decision was made after a comprehensive review of the university's athletics portfolio, financial sustainability and long-term strategic priorities," UND said in a statement.
"UND is focused on ensuring the strength and competitiveness of its remaining programs while maintaining responsible stewardship of resources. " According to UND's most recent NCAA report, men's tennis expenses totaled $428,630. For women's tennis, they totaled $600,928.