What is the ITA?

The ITA is the governing body of college tennis, overseeing men's and women's varsity tennis at NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College, and over the past three decades has worked hard to achieve its charter goals:

“To foster and encourage the playing of intercollegiate tennis in accordance with the highest tradition of sportsmanship and consistent with the general objectives of higher education.”“To develop among the intercollegiate coaches a deeper sense of responsibility in teaching, promoting, maintaining and conducting the game of tennis.”“To educate and serve those individuals and groups who are involved in collegiate tennis: junior and college players, their coaches and parents, and the at-large tennis public.”

Who belongs to the ITA?Comprised of nearly 1,700 men's and women's coaches representing over 1,200 institutions across the country from all three NCAA Divisions, as well as the NAIA and Junior and Community Colleges, the ITA oversees activities involving over 15,000 varsity college student-athletes. In addition to ITA collegiate coach members, the ITA welcomes collegiate varsity players, junior players, corporate, and affiliated membership of alumni, associate, college parents, conferences & associations, international federations, junior family and professional.

How policy is made?The ITA administrative policy is made by its Board of Directors, which is comprised of the Executive Director, and more than 20 collegiate tennis coaches - including the Chairs and Associate Chairs of the Men's and Women's Operating Committees - who represent men's and women's tennis from all NCAA Divisions, NAIA and Junior/ Community Colleges.

The ITA Executive Committee, which also functions as the ITA Budget Committee, is comprised of members of the ITA Board of Directors - and serves to advise the Board and the Executive Director. The ITA Executive/Budget Committee and Board of Directors meet annually in December.

Tennis policy in Division I is determined by the ITA Operating Committees, comprised of approximately 40 men's and women's Division I coaches. In addition to its formal meeting each December, the ITA Operating Committees also hold informal meetings at the men's and women's NCAA Championships.

In the "Small Colleges" (NCAA Divisions II, III, NAIA and Junior Colleges), tennis policy is determined by their divisional members on the ITA Small College Operating Committee.

More than 300 coaches volunteer annually on a variety of ITA Committees (in addition to those already described), to help oversee: Awards; Ethics & Infractions; Men's and Women's Collegiate Halls of Fame; ITA National and Regional Tournament Competition; National and Regional Rankings; Rules; Sport Science; and Summer Circuit.

How do I become a member of the ITA?
We have four categories: collegiate coach, player, corporate, and affiliate. Click here to learn more about membership categories.

What type of events does the ITA administer?
One of the most visible programs administered by the ITA is the Wilson/ITA Regional
Championships. Close to 8,000 men's and women's collegiate tennis players participate each year in a total of 88 regional events (24 for Division I and 64 for small colleges), which are hosted across the country throughout September and October. The singles champion (and finalist in Division I) and doubles champions from each regional event automatically qualify for either the ITA National Small College Championships (in late October) or the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships (in November).

The ITA also administers a year-round calendar of national events. Through the selection process, men and women ITA collegiate team members are eligible to enter in the main draw, qualifying or pre-qualifying rounds at any of the following ITA national events:

ITA National Summer Championships presented by the USTA
ITA Men's All-American Championships
Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships
ITA National Small College Championships presented by the USTA
ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships
ITA Men's National Indoor Team Championships
ITA Women's National Indoor Team Championships
ITA Division III National Men's Indoor Team Championships
ITA Division III National Women’s Indoor Team Championships

Does the ITA have any events during the summer?The ITA Collegiate Summer Circuit, presented by the USTA, consists of seven regional circuits held across the country during the month of July culminating in the ITA/USTA National Summer Championships held in August. Each of the seven regional tennis circuits (East, Southeast, Midwest, Central, Southwest, Mountain and West) consists of four events, all of which include men's and women's singles and doubles draws.

Does the ITA administer rankings for college tennis?The ITA administers the Campbell/ITA College Tennis Rankings (Singles, Doubles, and Team) that are designed to track the top men and women teams and singles and doubles players in NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA and Junior Colleges (Division I and II) and California Junior Colleges.

In Division I, the ITA (National) Rankings are determined by a computerized system, using the ITA's average points-per-match formula. They are released about 17 times during the season (pre-season, fall, and 14 times on a weekly basis in the spring and year-end). The Division I top 75 teams, top 100 singles players and top 50 doubles teams receive an ITA ranking. The ITA Rankings are also used in selection of all ITA National Championships.

Division I Regional rankings are released twice a year (fall and year-end). The top 15 teams, top 30 singles players and top 15 doubles teams are ranked for men and women in each of the eight ITA regions.

SmallCollege rankings are determined by committee vote, and National/Regional rankings are released from 3-7 times a season depending on the division. Typically, the top 25 teams, top 50 singles players and top 25 doubles teams are ranked for each division.

For more information about the Campbell/ITA Rankings, click here.

Does the ITA administer an awards program?
The ITA administers a comprehensive awards program to honor and recognize men's and women's coaches and players in all divisions. All award winners receive a certificate; some receive commemorative plaques as well.

The ITA Awards Program honors the following:
ITA/Campbell National Player of the Year Awards
Arthur Ashe/ITA Collegiate Awards for Leadership and Sportsmanship
ITA Senior Player of the Year Awards
Ted Farnsworth/ITA Men's Division I Player of the Year Awards
ITA Rookie Player of the Year Awards
ITA Player to Watch Awards
ITA Scholar Athlete All-American Awards
ITA All-America Team Awards (performance)
ITA All-Academic Team Awards (team GPA award)
Cissie Leary/ITA Award for Sportsmanship (DI Women)
Rafael Osuna/ITA Award for Sportsmanship (DI Men)
ITA National Doubles Team of the Year
ITA Collegiate All-Star Team (comprised of top players from all divisions)
USTA Collegiate Summer Team (traveling team)
Wilson/ITA Coach of the Year Awards
ITA Assistant Coach of the Year Awards
ITA Achievement Award (awarded to varsity collegiate tennis alumni)

Is the ITA involved with any non-varsity programs?The ITA and the United States Tennis Association (USTA) have been working together to promote tennis on college campuses through Community Outreach programming that includes Tennis On Campus and Quick Start Tennis. Annual grants to support these activities are provided through the ITA and are awarded each fall semester. The tenth annual USTA National Campus Championship, administered in partnership with the USTA, National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA), World TeamTennis (WTT) and the ITA, was held in Surprise, Arizona in April 2009.

Does the ITA host a coaches' convention?The ITA hosts its Annual Convention each December at the Naples Grande Beach Resort (Naples, FL), where the Wilson/ITA Coaches of the Year are honored at the Welcoming Banquet. In addition to the annual ITA Coaches Membership Meeting, the Convention offers four days of informative and educational clinics (both on-court and in a classroom environment - with workshops led by tennis greats such as Stan Smith, Dennis Van der Meer, Nick Bollettieri, Jim Loehr, Jack Groppel, Patrick McEnroe, Brad Gilbert, Chris Evert and Virginia Wade (to name just a few), as well as top coaches and experts in every field. Special activities (tennis tournaments and dinners) are also scheduled each year.

Where is the ITA located?The ITA had been headquartered for nearly 20 years at the Lenz Tennis Center on the campus of Princeton University. In July 2000, the office relocated to Skillman, New Jersey (near Princeton).

How do I contact the ITA?
ITA mailing address: ITA; 174 Tamarack Circle; Skillman, NJ 08558-2021
E-Mail address: ITA@ITAtennis.com
ITA Website Address: www.ITATennis.com
ITA Phone: 609-497-6920
ITA Fax: 609-497-9766

USTA: American Collegiate Varsity Tennis & International Players: FAQ  This FAQ is designed by the USTA to provide answers to the questions that are often raised concerning international players and collegiate varsity tennis.