Fox 40
By Brett Stover
February 11, 2026
Current and future members of UC Davis’ equestrian team are suing the school after learning the squad would be demoted to club status next season.
Those four riders, who are not named in the federal lawsuit, allege the University of California, Davis, misled student-athletes about its long-term plans for the program.
“[T]hey concealed the fact that the university was actively considering the elimination of the equestrian team through its plans to restructure the athletic department and implement strategic budget reductions,” the lawsuit claims.
The school’s public actions and statements were “false and misleading,” the lawsuit states. If the team had known about those plans earlier, the plaintiffs argued, they could have chosen to attend different schools.
The plaintiffs include two student-athletes who transferred to Davis from other schools, one freshman and one incoming rider who planned to join the team and enroll at the university this fall.
One of the plaintiffs, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe #4, is a current team member who transferred to UC Davis in Fall 2025. In an emailed statement to FOX40, the plaintiff said she and her teammates made substantial education, athletic and financial commitments to the school.
“It’s unconscionable they are trying to cut our team despite being one of UC Davis’ highest achieving programs,” Jane Doe #4 said. “We chose this school because it’s proven to be a competitor year after year. Now, we have missed the application deadlines for other schools and are missing out on our dreams to ride on a Division 1 team.”
On Jan. 9, the 37-member equestrian team was informed “during a hastily convened team meeting” that the current season would be the last at the Division I level, ending the team after eight years of existence. Davis is currently one of just 14 equestrian teams at the DI level.
“The sudden elimination of the program foreclosed these athletes’ … ability to continue competing at the Division I level and disrupted years of training, recruitment and career planning,” the lawsuit alleges.
The school said the decision to demote the team from DI to a club sport was prompted by financial considerations and an examination of the “national competitive landscape” — including a third-party review.
However, Bill Janicki, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs on a pro-bono basis, said he believes the school used “inflated budget numbers” to justify demoting the team.
“UC Davis Athletic Director Rocko DeLuca has not provided the consultant’s report; nor did the university connect with the Vet School or Agricultural Department before the decision was made to cut the team,” Janicki told FOX40 in an emailed statement.
A UC Davis spokesperson said the school understands the riders’ disappointment.
“We are proud of our Equestrian student-athletes, coaches and their success,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “They’ve brought incredible recognition to UC Davis and to our athletics program. While petitions and advocacy reflect genuine passion, university officials must make decisions based on sustainability, equity and institutional responsibility, and have done so here.”
The suit names a laundry list of defendants, including DeLuca and the University of California’s Board of Regents.
“These decisions were made following extensive external and internal analysis and thoughtful collaboration with campus leadership,” DeLuca said in a statement. “As the landscape of Division I athletics continues to evolve, it is important that we regularly evaluate how we best align our resources to support student-athletes, advance gender equity and position UC Davis Athletics for long-term success. Our student-athletes across the board — including those in equestrian — are dedicated, talented, and driven. They represent UC Davis with tremendous pride and excellence.”
In addition to seeking damages, the lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California to grant a preliminary injunction against the team’s demotion and require the team to continue until the plaintiffs leave the school.