We are now in receipt of the internal UC Davis emails (through our PRA requests), and the emails reveal there was financial manipulation resulting in significant (>$1 million annually) irregularities and errors. Furthermore, contrary to their public statement about the reason for cutting this team, internal emails show that this was purely a financial decision and initiated over a year ago in March 2025. Emails reveal that the athletics department was instructed to cut $1.05 million annually; athletics then significantly inflated the equestrian costs by that amount and then used that inflated number to satisfy the request by eliminating the D1 equestrian team. Davis then provided those inflated numbers to the consultant and asked them to confirm the approach: “…this action is approved contingent on an external review to confirm this approach”.  This violates all ethical standards and COI. Davis also continued recruiting and fundraising for this team during this whole past year right up until the moment they cut the team, which raises grave concerns about material misrepresentation and possible fraud.

We have once again reached out to everyone at UC Davis about this new and urgent information but have not received a response.

These women won their ECAC championship this past weekend, and the athletic director is using financial manipulation to end their careers.

Please help us by emailing the administration: 

Who to email:

chancellor@ucdavis.edu, president@ucop.edu, regentsoffice@ucop.edu, kmengelbach@ucdavis.edu

Subject line:  Internal emails expose alleged financial irregularities used to justify cutting the Champion Women's D1 Equestrian Team

Body text:

"We respectfully ask for a temporary pause on the elimination of the D1 Equestrian Team while a true independent investigation can be conducted into the serious financial irregularities."

THANK YOU!!!