BRADFORD, Pa.  – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is suspending its men’s and women’s tennis programs due to declining tennis athletes at the high school and collegiate levels and the lack of indoor training and playing facilities.

“This was a very difficult decision for us to make,” said Bret Butler, director of athletics, “but numerous factors led to us making this decision.”

Butler cited a decrease in the number of recruitable tennis players in the region as only a few high schools in the area have tennis teams. Of the 16 high schools in the six-county region, only four have varsity men’s and women’s tennis teams.

Additionally, of the eight schools in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, in which Pitt-Bradford competes, only four have men’s and women’s tennis teams.

Butler said another significant factor in suspending the program was the lack of indoor training and competition facilities for tennis, which made it difficult to recruit athletes.

He noted that the tennis teams are not being permanently cut but suspended in case some of these circumstances change.

Pitt-Bradford has offered men’s and women’s tennis since 2008-09. Both teams were coached by Susan Schenfield, who earlier this year announced she would be retiring at the end of the spring semester.

“We appreciate all that Coach Schenfield and the student-athletes on the tennis teams have done for our university on the courts, in the classroom and in the community,” Butler said.

He emphasized that the five men’s and six women’s tennis team players have the option of joining one of Pitt-Bradford’s other sports teams, and he would encourage them to do so.

Currently, Pitt-Bradford offers men’s baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, swimming and wrestling and women’s basketball, bowling, soccer, softball, swimming and volleyball. 

Though Pitt-Bradford’s sports offerings have decreased by two for now, that number will increase in the next couple of years when it adds men’s and women’s lacrosse. Men’s lacrosse will start as a club sport during the 2023-24 academic year then begin competition in 2024-25. Women’s lacrosse will start as a club sport in 2024-25 and begin competition the following academic year.