USTA National Campus awarded 10-year bid for NCAA D1 Tennis Championships
Dec 13, 2024
The NCAA recently announced that it has approved a bid to award the USTA National Campus the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships for a 10-year period beginning in 2028. This landmark agreement will cement Orlando and the USTA National Campus as the home of college tennis, and aims to replicate the successful model set forth by the Men’s College World Series and Women’s College World Series, held annually in Omaha, Neb., and Oklahoma City, respectively.
The USTA plans to make a number of infrastructure enhancements that will not only elevate the Championships for both student-athletes and fans, but also create a lasting impact on the Orlando community. Included in these capital projects are the addition of six indoor courts (bringing the total number of available indoor courts to 12) with improved viewing areas for all 12 indoor courts; permanent shade structures at the Collegiate Center, which contains 12 outdoor competition courts; and enhanced student-athlete amenities and scoring infrastructure.
Photo credit: Manuela Davies/ USTA
“This is a momentous day for the USTA and for college tennis,” said Lew Sherr, CEO and Executive Director, USTA. “Supporting college tennis is a growing priority for the USTA as it is not only the aspirational dream of youth tennis players across the country, but is also an increasingly vital part of the elite player development pathway. We are proud to bring this event to Orlando for years to come and are excited to work alongside the NCAA and all of our local partners to elevate this event and give college tennis the platform it so richly deserves.”
In addition to the infrastructure investments, the USTA has committed to work with the NCAA and other college tennis stakeholders to raise the profile of the Championships. This includes both increased on-site fan engagement, as well as a commitment to supplement existing NCAA broadcast agreements.
Photo credit: Manuela Davies/ USTA
"We are excited about this agreement with the USTA and UCF to serve as long-term hosts for the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Tennis Championships," said John Bugner, NCAA director of championships and alliances. "The existing track record of hosting successful NCAA tennis championships, along with the continued improvements to the USTA National Campus were integral to our decision-making process. With this commitment from both the USTA and NCAA, we're looking forward to what can be achieved in growing and enhancing the student-athlete and fan experience over the 10 years of the agreement."
The NCAA previously announced that the USTA National Campus was awarded the 2028 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships. That year’s event will now mark the first of 10 consecutive years, concluding in 2037, that the Orlando facility will host the final three rounds of the season-ending team championships. Should the individual singles and doubles championships, which are currently being held in the fall as part of a two-year pilot program, move back to the spring, the USTA National Campus will also host those events each year.
Photo credit: Virginia Athletic Communications
“We are thrilled to partner with the USTA as co-hosts for the NCAA Division I Tennis Championships,” said UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics, Terry Mohajir. “This is a testament to our community’s passion for sports and our commitment to providing an unforgettable experience for athletes and fans from all over. Being able to host prestigious events such as this over a 10-year period continues to shine the spotlight on Orlando as a premier sports destination while also strengthening our college athletics brand.”
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