STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Stony Brook Director of Athletics Shawn Heilbron announced on Friday that the University will discontinue its men's tennis program at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season.
 
The decision was impacted by recent changes in the conference landscape that has seen several institutions eliminate men's and women's tennis. Since the America East dropped men's tennis as a sponsored sport in 2014, Stony Brook has competed in the Missouri Valley Conference. Seven of the 10 of the men's tennis student-athletes will have remaining eligibility and will be granted full releases should they decide to transfer to other schools. Those who receive athletics financial aid will have their scholarships honored through their matriculation should they choose to remain at Stony Brook.
 
Stony Brook remains completely committed to its women's tennis program, which is in its first season as an affiliate member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
 
"This difficult decision for our men's program, while ultimately helping from a budget standpoint, was not driven by that factor," Heilbron said  "Without a conference, we simply can't operate as an independent program and expect to compete on a level that would allow our student-athletes to have a first class athletic experience."