UL Monroe disbands women's tennis program in a surprise Tuesday move
The University of Louisiana Monroe dissolved its women’s tennis program Tuesday per an announcement by ULM athletic director John Hartwell.
According to a release, “the decision was based on increased operational and infrastructure costs.” The move is expected to assist the athletic department in balancing its budget in the 16 NCAA Division I sports required by the NCAA as a minimum to be a Division I university."
There are eight athletes listed on the ULM women’s tennis site hailing from Portugal, Sweden, Egypt, Ukraine, Spain, Canada, China and Mexico, along with two coaches. ULM plans to honor scholarship commitments through their undergraduate studies for tennis players who opt to return to the school in the fall.
“Discontinuing a sport is never an easy decision, nor one that we take lightly,” Hartwell said in a release. “We know this is tough for our student-athletes and our coaches, who have poured so much into our tennis program. We deeply appreciate the dedication, effort and passion shown by our student-athletes and coaching staff in the women’s tennis program over the years. We will prioritize as smooth a transition as possible for our student-athletes, whether they choose to transfer to compete at another institution or remain at ULM to complete their undergraduate degree. We are committed to being competitive in all of our sports while also operating in a fiscally responsible manner.”
The ULM tennis team recently completed the 2025 season, finishing 3-15 overall and 0-11 in the Sun Belt after dropping their final match of the season to Southern Miss.
Hartwell said as scholarship funds become available after tennis athletes transfer or graduate, the scholarship funds will be repurposed to other ULM women’s athletic teams.
Jimmy Watson covers Louisiana sports for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jwatson@shreveporttimes.com and follow him on Twitter @JimmyWatson6.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: ULM opts to discontinue its women’s tennis program to balance budget
