UC Davis equestrian teammates file federal lawsuit after DI program cut, ask university to reinstate

Some members of the UC Davis Division I women's equestrian team are saddling up for a fight in federal court exactly one month after university leadership said they would demote the varsity team to a campus club starting next season.

The decision, the university announced on Jan. 9, was backed by extensive analysis and in favor of elevating the women's STUNT club on campus to DI status.

In response, a lawsuit was filed Monday morning in federal court on behalf of four women on the team. 

They are listed as "Jane Does 1-4" in a suit that names UC Davis, Chancellor Gary May, Athletic Director Rocko DeLuca and several others as defendants. 

Two of the women represented in the lawsuit joined the team this past fall and two were recruited to join the team in the upcoming fall 2026 season. 

"The allegations in the complaint, they center around fraud," said William Janicki, the attorney representing the student-athletes. 

Janicki says the women are not revealing their names because they fear retaliation from the university or any future university they may attempt to transfer to. 

He alleges that while DeLuca was breaking the news to the team that this would be their final competition season in a hastily called meeting, he also told them not to fight the decision. 

"The whole team, they were sobbing, in tears and crying. They hear the words, 'don't fight this' from the athletic director? They're all intimidated. We've got four people on the lawsuit. No one wants to be on the lawsuit because they fear intimidation." 

The January announcement of the team's fate fell after university admissions deadlines had come and gone. 

"The timing of it was really egregious," said Janicki. "What a slap in the face. Transfer? The deadlines are gone. It's over. It was really, really cruel. If it had just been earlier, it would have sucked. But the students could have been applying other places. They could have been pursuing recruitment efforts from other places."

The lawsuit alleges the university knew much earlier that it was cutting the team, but continued to recruit women under false pretenses. 

"All the while, while they're being recruited, the athletic department had already decided to eliminate the team," Janicki claims. 

The lawsuit asks for punitive damages due to emotional distress but also for the university to reinstate the team at least for the next four years, allowing the latest recruits to participate in and graduate from a DI equestrian program as they felt they had been promised. 

Several things, Janicki alleges, stood out as red flags and are pointed out in the suit. 

He alleges early on that team coaching contracts had been restructured to end in June, rather than August, to align with the end of the 2025-2026 season. He also says the new recruits in November, for the first time, were not asked to sign a National Letter of Intent on signing day, and instead they were asked to sign on as a "verbal commitment" only. 

For Randy Rechs, his daughter is an equestrian team alumna. He worries about the future of the current roster. 

"Now all their hopes and dreams are dashed. My daughter competes as a professional now and it really helps her in the professional world, having that credibility of being a four-year rider at UC Davis at the DI level," said Rechs. 

As for simply entering the transfer portal? Rechs says that it is not as simple or easy as it sounds. 

"Well, in equestrian, there aren't spots," said Rechs. "I think UC Davis probably is going to take this stance that, oh, these girls are just jumping in the portal. Jump in the portal. Well, it doesn't work that way with equestrian. It's not football and basketball."

The only other DI equestrian program in California is at Fresno State.       

Christine Smith's daughter is a freshman on the team right now. 

"I have seen them go through the stages of grief. From shock to anger to despondence. And yet, this past weekend and last week, they had three meets," said Smith. 

She says the heartbreaking news mid-season has devastated her daughter and her teammates, but they keep fighting to finish strong. 

"They are still out there competing for their the school that they love with complete determination," said Smith.   

Those in support of reinstating the team rallied on UC Davis' campus on Saturday afternoon to call attention to their organized effort to 'Keep Davis Riding.'

"This decision was made with zero transparency," Smith said. "The numbers don't seem to add up, and there's this just incredible amount of inequality with the way this woman's sport is being treated." 

Smith says parents of the team even offered to self-fund the team if the university would allow it to remain DI on campus. Smith says they have gotten few responses from the university and were not taken up on that offer. 

CBS Sacramento reached out to UC Davis for a response to the lawsuit and the calls to reinstate the team. 

"These decisions were made following extensive external and internal analysis and thoughtful collaboration with campus leadership. 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," said Rocko DeLuca, UC Davis Athletic Director. 

In addition, a statement from UC Davis Athletics reads as follows: 

"The transition of Equestrian to club sport status will allow interested students to continue competing while aligning institutional investment with competitive realities. UC Davis will sponsor Equestrian as a varsity program through the 2025–26 academic year, and the department will coordinate with affected student-athletes to provide guidance and support during the transition. All current athletics-related financial aid for Equestrian student-athletes will be honored and maintained throughout their undergraduate degree completion at UC Davis. Student-athletes will also continue to receive academic, medical, and related support services during the varsity sponsorship period. All coaches' contracts will also be honored through their current terms."

The equestrian team is now less than one month out from what could be their final meet ever, scheduled for March 7 in Davis.