May marks one of the most important months in the USTA National Campus’ two-plus year history – a month that people have been looking forward to since April 2017, when it was announced that the campus would host the 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships.
That moment has finally arrived, as the campus prepares to host the marquee collegiate tennis event beginning on May 16. The 10-day celebration of college tennis begins with the team championship, followed by the individual championship.
This is the first time the USTA National Campus has hosted the event, and it is also the first time the NCAAs have not been held on a college campus.
In a new format this year that mimics the College World Series, the top eight men’s and women’s teams that advance from their respective 64-team brackets will square off in Lake Nona.
The tournament kicks off at noon on Thursday, May 16, with the first of four men’s quarterfinals. The next three matches will be held at 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and not before 7 p.m. All matches will be played at the Collegiate Center.
Friday, May 17, will see the four women’s quarterfinals contested and will follow the same match schedule as Thursday.
All four national semifinals will be played on Saturday, May 18, starting with the men at noon and alternating between men and women at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and not before 6 p.m., setting up two national championship matchups for Sunday, May 19.
Two national champions will be crowned on Sunday, starting with the men’s team final at 3 p.m., followed by the women’s team final.
The four days of the team event will be a true tennis festival. Fans can expect similar activities and promotions that they have come to know and love over the last three years of College MatchDay events.
A four-day pass for the team event will cost $50, while a single session costs $20. Tickets for children 12-and-under will cost $5, as will special group-priced tickets. For those who want to take in all 10 days of tennis, the 10-day pass costs $100, and single-session tickets for the individual event cost $10. For additional ticket info, please visit www.NCAA.com/tickets.
The individual event begins on Monday, May 20, consisting of a 64-player singles bracket and a 32-team doubles bracket for both men and women.
Play begins at 11 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday, May 20 and 21, and at noon on Wednesday, May 22. Beginning Thursday, May 23, with the singles and doubles quarterfinals, matches begin at 4 p.m., followed by the singles and doubles semifinals on Friday, May 24.
Four national titles will be earned on Saturday, May 25, the last day of the tournament, as the men’s and women’s singles and doubles national championships will all be contested. Play begins at 4 p.m.
The 64-team brackets will be revealed on Thursday, April 29, on NCAA.com, and the individual brackets will be announced a day later. Play begins the following week with all roads leading to Lake Nona.
During the NCAA Championships, the campus will also host a USTA National Level 2 junior event with some of the top junior players from around the country, while the final two days of the NCAA individual tournament will overlap with a USTA Florida junior doubles event.
