Rising stars to compete for Universal Tennis NIT Championship in Atlanta
College players in America are set to take part in the first-ever Universal Tennis National Invitational Tennis Championship (NIT Championship), in what could be a platform for future stars of the game to shine.
Held in Atlanta, Georgia, from May 17-20, the first-ever postseason invite-only event will feature eight men’s and eight women’s college teams, all vying for a prestigious national title.
Universal Tennis has announced the team selection and brackets for the event.
The women’s teams will begin on May 17 and include TCU, Colorado, Stetson, Appalachian State, Wyoming, CSUN, Cal Poly, and UC San Diego. On the men’s side, Vanderbilt, Denver, Liberty, UC Davis, Army West Point, The Citadel, UC San Diego, and Reinhard will compete for the title starting on May 18.
All matches will be broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video (free for Prime members) to showcase college tennis to a global audience.
Teams were selected primarily based on their UTR Power 6 ranking. Power 6 is calculated by adding up the individual verified UTR Ratings of the six highest, most reliably-rated players on a college team to two decimals.
“This is a game changer for collegiate tennis,” said Chase Hodges, VP of Universal Tennis and former 15-time NAIA National Championship Coach.
“The NIT Championship will offer an opportunity for 16 programs (eight men’s and eight women’s) to finish their season with a national championship on the line.
“Universal Tennis is excited to bring this to reality for collegiate tennis players and coaches. The fact that this event will be on Prime Video will elevate college tennis to new heights.”
Universal Tennis is best known for creating the UTR Rating, which has become the gold-standard rating system for college recruiting.
The UTR Rating assesses players on the same 1.00-16.50 point global scale, based on daily match results and providing unparalleled accuracy.
“College tennis is an incredibly exciting product,” said the University of Georgia men’s head coach Manuel Diaz, who is in his 35th season and the SEC’s all-time winningest coach.
“Any time student-athletes are provided an opportunity for post-season play, it is something that they will cherish and will motivate them to work together for that common goal.
“It is great to see that Universal Tennis is keeping a helping hand in college tennis.”
Viewers can also catch the UTR Pro Tennis Tour (PTT), launched by Universal Tennis in 2021, on Prime.
Universal Tennis helps host 150+ PTT $25K events each year, creating 10,000 matches and offering millions in prize money. The UK’s Progress Tour has teamed up to host PTT events — you can see the full schedule here.