UC Davis announced in January that it was cutting its highly-ranked equestrian program, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from parents and student-athletes. The university cited a review from Collegiate Consulting that analyzed the program's costs as justification for the elimination, despite the team having won its third conference championship just months earlier.
Parents of the student-athletes have raised serious questions about the university's decision-making process, alleging that school leadership continued to recruit new members and solicit donations for the equestrian program for months leading up to the announcement, even while internal discussions about cutting the team were reportedly underway. Some students who had been recently recruited have since been denied admission to UC Davis.
Scrutiny Over Financial Justifications and Timeline
Further fueling the controversy is an independent audit of the university's financial report. Supporters of the equestrian team argue that the external review misrepresented the program's true cost and that it could actually generate up to $700,000 annually for the university. An economist hired by the team's supporters, Andy Schwarz, stated that the external review's figures were inaccurate. He pointed to a significant cost attributed to purchasing horses, despite the animals being donated to the university, and noted that the report did not account for revenue from out-of-state students paying tuition.
The timeline of events has also come under scrutiny. In February 2025, UC Davis Chancellor Gary May instructed university administration to plan for a 10 percent budget cut. Shortly thereafter, the equestrian team was identified as a program that could save over $1 million annually. By early April, an internal spreadsheet indicated that eliminating the program was a settled decision. However, the external review used to justify the cut was reportedly completed after the university had already announced its decision, a sequence of events that has intensified the backlash.
Legal Action and Ongoing Investigations
Parents are now pursuing legal action against UC Davis athletics director Rocko DeLuca and other school officials. They allege that DeLuca fraudulently inflated the equestrian program's budget and that recruits were misled about the team's future. The university's police department is also reportedly investigating potential wire fraud related to the solicitation of donations while the decision to cut the program was allegedly already made.
UC Davis has defended its decision, stating in April that "all policies and practices were followed and that decisions regarding the Equestrian program were made appropriately and with the best interests of the UC Davis community in mind." The university has initiated its own review into the financial information and fundraising practices used to evaluate the program. The findings are expected to be released on June 30, which is the equestrian team's final day as a university program.