In a stunning turn of events, the University of North Dakota has announced the elimination of both its men's and women's tennis programs, just one week after both teams achieved historic milestones by reaching their conference championship finals.
The decision, made public on Thursday, places UND among a growing list of NCAA Division I schools—including Arkansas, Saint Louis University, and Illinois State—that have recently cut tennis programs amid widespread financial restructuring across collegiate athletics.
"This is a difficult day for our department and our community," said UND athletic director Bill Chaves 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."
The timing is particularly heartbreaking for the Fighting Hawks tennis family. Just days earlier, both the men's and women's squads had battled their way to the Summit League championship match, ultimately falling to the University of Denver in the finals—the highest competitive achievement in program history.
According to UND's most recent NCAA financial report, the men's tennis program operated with expenses of $428,630 and approximately four scholarships for an eight-player roster, while the women's program spent $600,928 with roughly eight scholarships for its eight-player squad.
University officials cited a "comprehensive review of the university's athletics portfolio, financial sustainability, and long-term strategic priorities" as the driving forces behind the cuts. UND has pledged to honor scholarships for tennis athletes who choose to remain in Grand Forks to complete their academic careers.
This marks the sixth sport eliminated by UND in the last 11 years, following women's hockey (2017), men's and women's swimming and diving (2017), and baseball (2016). The university now sponsors 15 varsity sports—seven men's and eight women's programs.
Notably, the reduction prevents UND from moving to the FBS level for football—a transition rival North Dakota State will make this fall—without adding another sport. FBS membership requires sponsoring 16 sports, while FCS/Division-I requires 14.
The impact extends beyond Grand Forks. The Summit League now finds itself with just three remaining men's tennis programs—Omaha, Oral Roberts, and Drake—as Denver prepares to depart for the West Coast Conference next year. For student-athletes, coaches, and fans who witnessed the programs' finest moments just days ago, the sudden end serves as a sobering reminder of the challenging new realities facing collegiate athletics.