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For the last six months, UC Davis’s former women’s varsity equestrian team and its supporters have vociferously challenged the decision to cut their program largely on the grounds that it was based on manipulated financial data.
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Earlier this week, the school released an clearing athletics leadership of any wrongdoing while admitting its financial reporting processes were inadequate. The audit also said the external review that contributed to the school’s decision relied on inappropriate data.
“They see the errors, they admitted it, and then it’s like their conclusion was written by a completely different person,” said Sigrid Elschot, a parent of one of the team members. “I don’t know how to reconcile what I thought UC Davis stood for with what I’ve seen the past six months. It’s heartbreaking and feels very much like a betrayal.”
In January, UC Davis Athletics announced it was moving its equestrian program from varsity status to a club sport in the 2026-2027 school year and making the opposite transition for STUNT, a competitive form of cheerleading, as part of a “strategic adjustment.” The decision, which went into effect July 1, followed a comprehensive review process that found varsity equestrian was one of the most “resource-intensive” sports to sponsor and had a limited intercollegiate landscape to compete within, officials said.
The three-time championship-winning women’s equestrian team of about 35 student athletes said they were blindsided by the decision. To save the team, Reinstate UC Davis Equestrian — a coalition of team members, alumni and parents — collected 41,000 signatures, raised $32,000, and filed a lawsuit against UC Davis athletics leaders.
They said the financial information the school used to conclude the equestrian program was too expensive was inaccurate. They questioned the independence of the external review. They alleged the school was actively recruiting players and soliciting donations for the equestrian team as it contemplated ending the varsity program. And they accused UC Davis of committing Title IX violations by depriving female student-athletes across the board of equal athletic financial aid, treatment and benefits.
No manipulated data in internal budgeting
In response to some of these allegations, the university’s Audit and Management Advisory Services wing initiated a review in April to evaluate if program finances were accurately represented to decision-makers. And whether or not budgeting, planning and fundraising activities complied with relevant policies and laws.
In , the auditor said it did not find evidence that financial information was manipulated or budget estimates inflated to influence the school’s decision to end varsity equestrian. Reinstate UC Davis Equestrian had claimed — based on public records and the external review conducted by Atlanta-based firm Collegiate Consulting — that $690,000 in in-kind donations of horses for the team had been counted as an expense in calculating the total cost of the program.
The new audit clarifies that that money was not included in equestrian cost estimates in the internal budgeting process. It said the confusion arose from Reinstate UC Davis Equestrian assuming the school used financial data reported to the National Collegiate Athletic Association to make budget decisions.
Under the NCAA’s regulations, in-kind donations are to be reported as both expenses and revenue. The school’s Budget and Institutional Analysis department, on the other hand, does not do so and its numbers were used to make the decision, the report says. While the school’s internal budget documents approximated program expenses at about $1.1 million, the NCAA figures placed UC Davis varsity equestrian costs at about $1.9 million for the year.
The external review and future improvement
However, external consultant Collegiate Consulting did use the NCAA figures in its analysis of expenses and net revenue generated by different sports at UC Davis and its comparison between varsity equestrian program expenses at different schools nationwide. The NCAA data, the audit says, was not designed to support campus-specific financial projections.
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This Collegiate Consulting analysis, the school said in multiple statements since January, was an important contributor to its decision-making. When external consultants use data that differs from the “university’s system of record,” this reduces confidence in third-party analyses and limits the school’s ability to prove its decisions were supported by complete and accurate data, the audit says.
Separately, the audit found that UC Davis Athletics had failed to maintain robust financial reporting practices at the standard expected by the NCAA in recent years. Athletics leadership has been asked to develop documented procedures by October for preparing its annual NCAA financial report as well as a review process to ensure data submitted to NCAA tallies up with the university’s internal figures.
The audit also found that the athletics department had not communicated all aspects of a fundraiser held for varsity equestrian in December to the university Office of Development and Alumni Relations as is required by policy.
This failure, the audit said, increases legal risk, limits the university’s ability to ensure donor funds are administered correctly, and could affect donor confidence. The athletics department has been asked to provide employees responsible for fundraising with the required training. Further questions on fundraising, the audit said, were beyond the scope of this report and would be returned to later.
Is the saga over?
In a statement released on UC Davis Athletics official website earlier this week, Athletics Director Rocko DeLuca said the audit confirmed that his department’s decision to cut varsity equestrian was made through established processes and all allegations were unsubstantiated.
He said he supported the audit’s recommendations for continuous improvement. DeLuca also drew attention to his experience of the last six months, during which he said he and his family were harassed and threatened.
“I understand that public leadership brings scrutiny, criticism, and difficult questions. I have never objected to good-faith disagreement; it is part of the responsibility of serving a public institution, and it can make it better,” DeLuca said in a statement. “But some actions went far beyond disagreement. Personal threats, intimidation, repeated visits to my home and efforts to involve family members in a university decision crossed a line that should matter to everyone in our community.”
For the supporters of the team, however, the fight is not over. The audit, they said, vindicated their claims that the athletics department’s financial processes were insufficient while leaving many questions — including alleged Title IX violations — unanswered.
“The university may consider this matter resolved. For those still seeking the evidence behind the decision, it remains anything but,” said the Reinstate UC Davis Equestrian coalition in a statement Tuesday.
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