Arkansas Athletics announces it will be discontinuing men's and women's tennis programs

Arkansas Athletics announced on Friday that it will be eliminating its men’s and women’s tennis programs following the conclusion of the 2026 Spring season. They are the first programs to be cut by the University since men’s swimming/diving in the early 1990s.

The move comes as Arkansas concluded that it was not able to provide the level of support necessary to fund two competitive programs. Last season, Arkansas reported spending $2.35 million on the two programs (14th out of 15 public schools in the SEC). Student-athletes, however, will still have the option to remain at the University as a student and complete their current degree program. Their scholarships will be honored through the completion of their degree.

SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter

“After considerable reflection and thoughtful discussion, we have made the very difficult decision to discontinue our men’s and women’s tennis programs,” Vice Chancellor/Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek said via a press release. “We understand the disappointment and emotion this news will bring to many. The landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, requiring us to make challenging choices as we balance competitive opportunities, resources and the long-term sustainability of our department.”

“Ultimately, we concluded that we are unable to provide the level of support necessary for our tennis programs to consistently compete in the SEC and nationally at the standard our student-athletes, coaches, alumni and supporters deserve. We appreciate the efforts of Coach (Jay) Udwadia and Coach (Tucker) Clary, along with all of our current and former student-athletes.”

Arkansas tennis programs were discontinued due to lack of resources

In its final season of play, Arkansas men’s tennis finished with a 16-14 (3-11) record. The women’s program finished with a 14-14 (3-12) record. A concrete reason why the programs were discontinued was included in the press release.

“As a result of ongoing efforts to adapt to the post-House settlement environment and the ongoing expense pressures in college athletics today, the Director of Athletics made a recommendation that was approved by the Chancellor to discontinue the men’s and women’s tennis programs at the conclusion of the spring 2026 season. The UA System President and Board of Trustees were notified of the decision.

“The primary factor considered was the level of resources available to allocate to the tennis programs,” the release read. “Ultimately, it was concluded that the Department of Athletics would be unable to provide the level of financial investment necessary for the tennis programs to consistently compete in the SEC and nationally at the standard the student-athletes, coaches, alumni and supporters deserve.”

The funds from the tennis program will be spread out through the Department of Athletics.