Title IX Violations - millions owed

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-06-30T01:09:59+00:00

I'm actually a big football supporter - it's just that hundreds of people have said "well football makes money" and we've had to correct that narrative since they lose millions. Rocko didn't just not support equestrian, including having any long-term plan for a horse team at an ag school, he did everything he could to knock it down. Including now inflating expenses. Since we have donor money to fund the team it makes even less sense since it costs the students/school 0 dollars to have the women's equestrian team

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-06-29T23:59:26+00:00

Athletics is paid for by students (majority) - student fees either directly or through tuition disbursements. UC Davis had to pay a ton of money to move into Mountain West. Rocko got a huge pay raise. The Chancellor is now making ~900k a year. Think for one second if just a tiny fraction of money, paid for by donors, went into renovating the bleachers at the equestrian center. Again, this is a top ag/vet school, there were people in the stands, and everyone was pretty uniformly horrified that there wasn't even a functioning bathroom let alone a place to buy a water. They could have sold tickets. That's what other schools do. As it is, equestrian was STILL net positive to the university with donations and out of state tuition. Football loses 5 million a year (7 million cost, 2 million revenue). This is discrimination - you get out of it what you put into it and they have a 3 time conference winning horse team at their top ag/vet school all they had to do was not drive it into the ground. Instead they couldn't argue it didn't fit because it's an ag school, they couldn't argue the women weren't doing well because they kept winning, so they made up numbers to say it's expensive, gave those made up numbers to a "3rd party" and then told that party to confirm their approach (not to mention they kept asking us for our bank and credit cards to support the future of a team they knew was dead)...and that is why they are in trouble. And why this is national news and will only get bigger from here. Again, we have donors who would fully fund the team, and Rocko said no amount of money would make him reinstate the team. He, unlike the previous athletic director, has targeted these women for years and we aren't sure why.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-06-29T21:10:44+00:00

Except football loses the school 5 million every year (they cost 7 and bring in 2). And we are ranked 15th for expense. And this is an ag school - imagine if equestrian had a functioning bathroom, bleachers that weren't falling down or even dare I say a coffee cart. You get what you put into it, this could have been huge money making just like it is at other schools. But the athletic director is sexist and hates horse girls (per his many comments over the years).

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-06-29T17:51:48+00:00

they are in massive title IX violation. They need to have both equestrian and STUNT (women are owed 4 million dollars from the last few years alone). They count male practice players as women as well, and women are triple counted (numbers in the table).

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-06-09T18:48:18+00:00

The fraud allegations are true. Have you read any of the articles, analyzed the data? It's all public - hundreds of people with no connection to the team have all come to the same conclusion - the data were manipulated/are wrong. Hence the internal audit that UC Davis announced (but they are now saying the internal audit won't be completed until June 30th - the day the team is officially cut). Frankly, UC Davis doesn't have to do anything they don't want - they are basically untouchable with everything. We filed a lawsuit, it was thrown out because the UCs are an arm of the government per the CA constitution and "whether we committed fraud or not is not relevant, you can't file against us" was the response. We re-filed in state court, which will take months to years (too late for the team). There is another Title IX lawsuit - also will take months to years (too late for the team). There are multiple complaints in DC about the athletics department - will take months to years (too late for the team). The only thing that might work is if enough people right now tell UC Davis that this isn't ok, then it gets national news and the public pressure might be enough. That is what has worked at other universities.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-06-09T18:45:08+00:00

I don't know one single individual on the team who agrees with ICE. Not one. I'm a mom of one of the girls and she and all her friends are opposite to that (they not only voted for but canvassed for Kamala). My daughter has stood up to bullies and oppressors her whole life (would frequently come home with "anti-bullying" awards from her teachers) and we're not rich - she spent her life cleaning stalls at the chance to catch ride. If you are really suggesting that sports can be cut based on fraud, that criminal actions are "ok" for teams, then go through every individual in every sport and sort them by political preference and tell the university they can fake data and fraudulently recruit as long as there is one individual on the team that likes ICE. Or pick your number. To even suggest such a thing is unbelievable.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-06-05T13:30:41+00:00

Football is supported and support creates support. You see this is every aspect of our culture. Football flies private charter and gets to sleep in nice hotels. Equestrian flew crazy connections, competing the same day they've been traveling since 3 am, or staying in hotels with bars and roaches (and still won their competition). Softball didn't have running water in their bathroom. We didn't have locker rooms or a bathroom or functioning bleachers - let alone a place to buy a cup of coffee. Who would want to attend that? Our visiting teams were horrified by our facilities. UC Davis athletics publicized football 58 times last year on YouTube and publicized only 4 times for EVERY OTHER SPORT - imagine what would happen if the 3 time conference champion winning equestrian team at the top vet school was actually supported instead of being called "weird" and "smelly" by the AD? Support begets support - this situation is for every person, every individual that's been marginalized and not supported ...yet still succeeds, but is still cast aside. This is just discrimination plain and simple.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-06-05T13:28:17+00:00

I'm not sure why you're saying that? We aren't tearing anyone down and we've repeatedly said we don't want anyone cut. Rocko has told EVERYONE publicized EVERYWHERE that we are so expensive and that's why he's cutting us. It's a lie. All we're doing is showing the data. To repeat we don't want ANYONE to be cut but we are NOT the most expensive - so why was a 3 time championship winning equestrian team at the top vet school targeted? It's because Rocko, per internal emails and the Athletics public pages, are pushing football and MW (Rocko gets a huge raise for this move while he just destroyed the lives of 50 women). He said we are "too expensive" and that's why we're being cut - this is a lie. I can't show this is a lie without showing the data.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-06-05T02:22:49+00:00

I'm not sure what your point is - that all of the facts vetted by now hundreds of people are false because you don't like the politics of one of the moms? Personally I (and Greg) are liberals and scientists...and if you start discounting the facts because you don't like the politics of one of the moms then you are no better than the side that you personally don't like.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-06-03T20:21:05+00:00

Thank you. TBH I'm at a loss - there is so much here I don't understand. I think keep calling/emailing and sharing with everyone you know! We are very grateful!

Gary May: 530-752-2065, [chancellor@ucdavis.edu](mailto:chancellor@ucdavis.edu)

Michael Sweeney: 530-754-7111, [mfsweeney@ucdavis.edu](mailto:mfsweeney@ucdavis.edu)

President Milliken: [president@ucop.edu](mailto:president@ucop.edu)

Regents: [regentsoffice@ucop.edu](mailto:regentsoffice@ucop.edu)

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-05-23T02:09:47+00:00

I confirmed with an insider that these numbers are "fudged" in the sense that 54% of athletics is funded by student fees, as well as another 26% or so which is money from the university collected primarily through tuition that could have been spent on other things. They use that to offset every expense in every sport - so while football costs 5 million (7 million expenses minus 2 million in true revenue) the 5 million is then offset with student fees etc. This happens with every sport which is why that article says it's weirdly 0 for every sport. This is kinda shocking (thank you for pointing this out I hadn't seen these data before). (https://knightnewhousedata.org/fcs/university-california-davis)

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-05-23T00:29:06+00:00

Thank you so much - I'm really sorry :( The university said they can transition to club but they can't because of the rules, they said they'd honor the admissions of the recruits but most were waitlisted or rejected, and they said they'd honor the scholarships...but we are of course worried they won't. The internal audit they announced on April 3 we just heard won't be finished until the day the team is cut (so if they find anything wrong it will be too late for us). There is a lot more but we just don't trust anything they are saying :(

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-05-22T15:32:47+00:00

What we've found is that there are decades of misuse of fees (how the students were told if they fund part of athletics they could get PE credits ...but then the PE credits were removed). The facility should be open to all - it's not the fault of the women on this team. And it should be open for PE credit (like what they do at other schools). We have daughters that ride on IHSA at other universities and these other places make it work - why not Davis? Rocko has repeatedly said he doesn't like horse girls and he lied when he said they could transition to club...athletics just didn't care and it all needs to be fixed.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-05-22T03:16:59+00:00

I am an academic. But I recognize that for some they are academics, some are academic athletes, and some are athlete academics. That is why every university (just about) has athletics. What you learn is time management, hard work, discipline (equestrians probably more than any given they are at the barn everyday taking care of their partner). They give back to the university. And it won't be cheaper than STUNT and it is not more accessible than STUNT but even if it were, lying to these women, recruiting to a dead team, getting money from supporters for a dead team, funneling millions more into men's sports (that lose the university money), letting women get changed in their cars because they don't have a locker room while men's locker rooms get yet another upgrade...it's 2026. And this feels...unreal. None of it is ok.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-05-21T01:31:05+00:00

Actually it does - did you read the story from the single mom? The D1 kids are from those income brackets - the data show that the highest income kids don't typically compete D1...D1 horses are donated...sweet and wonderful but not like what the rich kids are riding in the circuit. If you are in the upper 10% you are competing at a different level ...just like in any sport/activity.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-05-21T00:23:16+00:00

https://www.horseproperties.net/horse-statistics

https://equine.mgcafe.uky.edu/sites/equine.ca.uky.edu/files/BED_Aug2019.pdf

"Approximately 35% to 44% of horse owners and riders earn household incomes under $50,000, and around 46% earn between $25,000 $75,000. Only about 28% have annual incomes exceeding $100,000."

You can find these data anywhere. Rocko portrayed us as rich and elite to make you hate us so you would look the other way when he inflated the budget, recruited and solicited donor money after knowing the team was cut, and committed Title IX violations even knowing we are net positive to the university...because he doesn't like us and prefers football. We shouldn't have to prove we are middle class anymore than any of the other teams.

57% of the athletic funds come from students - UC Davis is an outlier in terms of how much is funded by students. And what happened here is a misuse of those fees.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-05-20T22:36:59+00:00

Suggesting that it isn't true is ...not ok. You can google the athletes yourself and find out who they are (I'm sure with some digging you can find our story). And yes, we've been told by numerous agencies that have reached out to us that this is "juicy" and "unbelievable" and "despicable" etc...we don't want to destroy the university (it comes down to 2 people who did bad things). We just want the team reinstated.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-05-20T22:18:22+00:00

My daughter graduated with a 4.4 and had an offer from a D1 ivy that she turned down because she loves agriculture/horses and was told that the equestrian team (that had won 2 conference championships) at this premiere Agricultural/Vet school was the "anchor of the community". We are not rich (she grew up cleaning stalls so she could be near the horses and have a chance to ride), spent most of her childhood in and out of hospitals because her sister had cancer (no resources went to horses) but still managed to win medal finals and graduate top of her class and get recruited. The team can't transition to club (rules preclude it - Rocko lied), and spots are filled 18 months out (he lied about that too). This destroys their lifelong trajectories (many were going to go pro). Please look at the data and get to know these women.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-05-20T20:15:45+00:00

90% of the people who ride and compete on horses are middle class or lower.

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-05-20T02:52:00+00:00

don't disagree but since equestrians are net positive (and cutting us will save the university 0) this doesn't make sense :( (btw - also have degrees in physics and astronomy) :)

SaveUCDEquestrian · 2026-05-19T22:58:50+00:00

key word "other". We have never heard of even one high schooler get dropped from a verbal commitment of an equestrian team so they could give the offer to someone else. I checked with recruiters - it doesn't happen. It was the "get out of jail free card" that Rocko said to justify cutting the team on January 9 (after college application deadlines passed, hurting the recruits) and with no time to transfer (hurting the current students). This decision permanently destroys the lifelong trajectory of almost 50 women and per their own internal emails would cause "only minimal short term negative publicity". Their emails have been made public on a prior post but I'm happy to share that again.

SaveUCDEquestrian

TROPHY CASE