ULM Terminates Women’s Tennis Program
In a significant move to address budgetary issues within its athletic department, the University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM) has decided to terminate its women’s tennis program. Athletics Director John Hartwell revealed this decision this week, which he stated was influenced by rising operational expenses and infrastructure demands. This action aims to help the university’s athletics achieve greater financial stability while adhering to the NCAA’s requirement of sponsoring a minimum of 16 Division I sports.
Impact on Players and Future Plans
Hartwell expressed the difficulty of this choice, emphasizing the impact on student-athletes and coaches who have dedicated considerable efforts to the program.
“The discontinuation of a sport is never straightforward or made lightly,”
he commented. Nevertheless, ULM has committed to honoring the scholarships of current players who prefer to finish their academic programs at ULM without transferring.
Hartwell also outlined plans to assist athletes interested in competing at other institutions.
“We will prioritize as smooth a transition as possible for our student-athletes,”
he noted.
Reallocation of Resources
As players graduate or make the choice to transfer, the funds allocated for their scholarships will be redirected to support other women’s sports within the university, ensuring that resources are utilized to support remaining athletic programs at ULM.
