Arkansas reinstates tennis with boost in funding
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- Arkansas reinstated its men’s and women’s tennis teams after a short‑term donor funding boost reversed a disbandment announced three weeks earlier.
- Hunter Yurachek said alumni and donors secured the immediate funding and stressed that a significant endowment is required for the program’s long‑term viability.
- Arkansas spent $2.35 million on tennis in fiscal 2025, a level comparable to the NIL spending of top football or basketball recruits at elite schools.
- Saint Louis, Illinois State and North Dakota have cut their tennis programs amid financial strain, underscoring the rarity of Arkansas’s decision to reinstate its teams.
- Arkansas men’s tennis qualified for the NCAA tournament but fell to Cornell in the first round, a match that took place shortly after the program’s abrupt termination notice.
Why it matters: The donor boost restores the tennis squads, preserving player opportunities and Arkansas’s SEC reputation, while the $2.35 M FY2025 spend highlights the urgent need for a larger endowment to keep the sport viable.
