TOURNAMENT TO HOST UP TO 550 COLLEGE PLAYERS
The 2023 USTA Tennis On Campus Southern Championship is scheduled Feb. 17-19 in Rome, Ga.
The 57-court Rome Tennis Center at Berry College will be the tournament site. Based on the number of courts, it is one of the largest tennis facilities in the country.
The Greater Rome Convention & Visitors Bureau has been selected as the host of the 2021-2023 USTA Tennis On Campus Southern Championship, USTA Southern’s Tournament Director Jeff Smith announced. The 2021 tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
In 2022, the multi-day tournament attracted 60 club tennis teams from 32 colleges and universities from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. More than 550 players are expected to play. Typically, each team has approximately eight players who travel to the tournament, with some teams bringing as many as 10 individuals. The tournament expects to use 150-200 hotel rooms. Larger universities often bring multiple teams, with “A,” “B,” “C” and “D” teams.
“Tennis On Campus is perfect for those athletes who do not make the jump from high school to college varsity tennis,” said Smith. “We offer dual match play, state, sectional and national championships, while helping students maintain an active and healthy lifestyle throughout their college years. We expect the 2023 tournament to exceed last year’s event.”
The USTA Tennis On Campus program features more than 35,000 college students competing nationwide in intramural and intercollegiate coed club play. Since its inception in 2000, Tennis On Campus has grown significantly and today is played on more than 600 college campuses across the country.
Developed by the USTA in partnership with NIRSA, World TeamTennis and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, the Tennis On Campus program gives college students the opportunity to build leadership skills, network in a coed sports environment and compete on a college team without the rigors of playing in a varsity program. With year-round match play, and regional and national championship competition, students maintain active and healthy lifestyles through their college years.
For more information, contact USTA Southern Tennis Service Representative, Tennis On Campus/Louisiana Jeff Smith.