I posted the following on my site to explain the college tennis season as simply as possible. If some of you could let me know what I need to add or correct, I would be grateful!
The college tennis season can be a bit confusing sometimes, with so many tournaments involving team, singles and doubles competition. There are the main events that every school will enter or try to qualify for. Here’s a simple breakdown of the college tennis season.
ITA National Summer Circuit / ITA National Summer Championships
Singles/Doubles
The ITA Summer Circuit is made up of eight regional circuits (East, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, *******, Central, Mountain, Southwest and West) and all eight regions consist of four consecutive open tournaments played during the month of July, leading up to the ITA National Summer Championships in August. The champions are given a spot in the main draw of the All-American Championships in October.
Circuit: All through July
Championships: Second week of August
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ITF Men’s Circuit
This is not part of the ITA season, but many of the top college players will forego the Summer Circuit and play the ITF Futures events. The Futures tournaments are the entry level tournaments for the ATP Tour. These are held all over the world throughout the year and all you need to play in them is to have an ITF registration number and win some qualifying matches to get into the main draw.
Once September comes, the college season really picks up. The ITA will put out the first singles and doubles rankings for the season and players will start to prepare for the biggest tournaments of the season.
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ITA/D’Novo Men’s All-American Championships
Singles/Doubles
The players for this tournament is decided by the rankings. There are a few spots left open and the remaining players will play through pre-qualifying and qualifying rounds to get into the main draw. This is probably the third biggest title in college singles and doubles.
First two weeks of October
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USTA/ITA Regional Championships
Tournaments are held in 12 regional tournaments. The winners and a few wild-cards use this tournament to qualify for the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships.
September – October, 2010
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USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships
The winners of the ITA Regional Championships come together in this tournament to determine the national champions. 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams make up the tournament. This is considered the second biggest title of the season. This concludes the first half of the college tennis season.
First week in November
The ITA releases the year’s first team rankings
First Week of January
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The team competition starts!
Second Week of January
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ITA Kick Off Weekends
Sixty schools are divided into 15 groups of 4 teams each. One team from each group will host. The school that wins twice will move on to the ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championships.
Last week of January
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ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championships
The fifteen schools who won their group plus the host school will play to determine the Indoor Team National Champion. This is considered the second biggest team tile of the year.
Second Week of February
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After the Team Indoor Championships, the team tennis season continues. Around 25 dual matches are played up to the ACC Championships.
February through April
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Conference Championships
The seeds are determined by the regular season standings. There are 1st round matches followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
Last week of April
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
NCAA Championships
The NCAA Championships starts with the Regionals. Four teams will be grouped together with one team acting as host. The team that wins twice will move on to the Sweet Sixteen. The final 16 teams will gather at the host school to determine the NCAA champion.
After the team competition is finished; the singles and doubles tournaments will be held to determine the NCAA champions. The champions are given a berth in the US Open tournament at the end of August.
Second week in May
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
This concludes the college tennis season for the year.
The college tennis season can be a bit confusing sometimes, with so many tournaments involving team, singles and doubles competition. There are the main events that every school will enter or try to qualify for. Here’s a simple breakdown of the college tennis season.
ITA National Summer Circuit / ITA National Summer Championships
Singles/Doubles
The ITA Summer Circuit is made up of eight regional circuits (East, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, *******, Central, Mountain, Southwest and West) and all eight regions consist of four consecutive open tournaments played during the month of July, leading up to the ITA National Summer Championships in August. The champions are given a spot in the main draw of the All-American Championships in October.
Circuit: All through July
Championships: Second week of August
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
ITF Men’s Circuit
This is not part of the ITA season, but many of the top college players will forego the Summer Circuit and play the ITF Futures events. The Futures tournaments are the entry level tournaments for the ATP Tour. These are held all over the world throughout the year and all you need to play in them is to have an ITF registration number and win some qualifying matches to get into the main draw.
Once September comes, the college season really picks up. The ITA will put out the first singles and doubles rankings for the season and players will start to prepare for the biggest tournaments of the season.
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
ITA/D’Novo Men’s All-American Championships
Singles/Doubles
The players for this tournament is decided by the rankings. There are a few spots left open and the remaining players will play through pre-qualifying and qualifying rounds to get into the main draw. This is probably the third biggest title in college singles and doubles.
First two weeks of October
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
USTA/ITA Regional Championships
Tournaments are held in 12 regional tournaments. The winners and a few wild-cards use this tournament to qualify for the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships.
September – October, 2010
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships
The winners of the ITA Regional Championships come together in this tournament to determine the national champions. 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams make up the tournament. This is considered the second biggest title of the season. This concludes the first half of the college tennis season.
First week in November
The ITA releases the year’s first team rankings
First Week of January
__________________________________________________
The team competition starts!
Second Week of January
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
ITA Kick Off Weekends
Sixty schools are divided into 15 groups of 4 teams each. One team from each group will host. The school that wins twice will move on to the ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championships.
Last week of January
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championships
The fifteen schools who won their group plus the host school will play to determine the Indoor Team National Champion. This is considered the second biggest team tile of the year.
Second Week of February
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
After the Team Indoor Championships, the team tennis season continues. Around 25 dual matches are played up to the ACC Championships.
February through April
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
Conference Championships
The seeds are determined by the regular season standings. There are 1st round matches followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
Last week of April
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
NCAA Championships
The NCAA Championships starts with the Regionals. Four teams will be grouped together with one team acting as host. The team that wins twice will move on to the Sweet Sixteen. The final 16 teams will gather at the host school to determine the NCAA champion.
After the team competition is finished; the singles and doubles tournaments will be held to determine the NCAA champions. The champions are given a berth in the US Open tournament at the end of August.
Second week in May
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
This concludes the college tennis season for the year.
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