Arkansas reinstates men's and women's tennis programs after donors provide short-term funding

Hunter Yurachek, Arkansas vice chancellor and director of athletics, speaks during a news conference, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods, File)

Spectators crowd center court at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex during the UCLA and North Carolina women’s doubles match in the NCAA Division I tennis championships, May 20, 2014, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/David Tulis, File)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas tennis teams are back in business thanks to a short-term funding boost that the school’s athletic director said “offers a viable path forward.”

Athletic director Hunter Yurachek said Thursday that he had meetings with alumni and stakeholders who support the programs and that donors provided short-term funding for the teams that were abruptly disbanded three weeks ago.

“Looking ahead, a significant endowment remains the only feasible long-term solution to ensure the sustainability of our tennis programs,” Yurachek said. “A dedicated group of supporters has committed to pursuing that goal.”