ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Saint Louis University has decided to cut men’s and women’s tennis following a comprehensive evaluation of the program.
The university said the evaluation considered factors such as facilities, operations and community engagement. The athletic department recommended the program’s closure to university leadership, which accepted it.
University leadership said it determined there were “limited opportunities to consistently compete at a high level” due to the current landscape of collegiate athletics. SLU Director of Athletics Chris May said the decision was difficult, but necessary to put the school in a position for long-term success.
“The landscape of intercollegiate athletics continues to evolve nationally, and universities are making hard decisions to best position their programs for long-term sustainability and success,” May said.
The announcement comes after the Billikens completed the 2025-26 season at the Atlantic 10 Conference championships last week.
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Currently, the tennis program has 19 athletes: 10 men and nine women, according to the university. Five of the athletes will graduate in the spring, and the university said personnel will discuss next steps for their academic and athletic journeys.
The full-time coach and part-time assistant positions will also be eliminated.
“This decision is not a reflection of our tennis student-athletes and staff,” May said. “We are grateful for the contributions of head coach James Tobin, staff members Lizzie Barlow and Emilien Burnel, and all of our men’s and women’s tennis student-athletes.”
The last time the Billikens dropped an athletic program was men’s and women’s golf in 2006. SLU will drop to 16 athletic programs after the closure of the tennis program.
The university reiterated that it has no current plans to discontinue any other athletic programs.
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