Chambana Sun

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois men's tennis head coach Brad Dancer unveiled the team's 2024 fall schedule on Friday. The Fighting Illini will participate in several events across the country from September through November.

The Orange and Blue will spend most of the fall competing on the road before returning to Atkins Tennis Center in mid-November for the Champaign Challenger. Illinois will conclude its fall schedule Nov. 19-24 in Waco, Texas, with the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, which have been moved from spring to fall.

"I am looking forward to getting tougher and battle-tested by the end of the fall," Dancer said. "We have a slammed fall and will be taking our student-athletes to a mixture of the best collegiate events, getting some professional exposure, and testing them against the best of both worlds. I am excited to get back to work."

The listed schedule features all possible tournaments Illinois student-athletes could participate in; not every student-athlete will compete at every event.

September

Illinois will begin its fall slate Sept. 12-15 when select student-athletes head west to San Francisco for the Battle In The Bay Classic at the California Tennis Club. The Illini will also take part in the Louisville Invitational that same weekend, running from Sept. 13-15.

The following weekend will be busy for the Orange and Blue with events including Harvard Chowderfest in Cambridge, Mass.; Redbird Invitational in Normal, Ill.; and Everybody vs. Cancer Invitational in Toledo, Ohio, scheduled for Sept. 20-22.

The ITA All-American Championships are set for Sept. 21-29 in Tulsa, Okla., where ten singles players and four doubles tandems can qualify for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships in November.

The Illini will then compete from Sept. 27-29 at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic for the second consecutive season. Junior Kenta Miyoshi claimed the singles title at this event in September 2023.

September also includes multiple tournaments on the ITF pro circuit: Fayetteville M15 Futures (Sept. 16-22) and Ann Arbor (Sept. 30-Oct. 6).

October

Illinois begins October with a pro event at Louisville M25 Futures before starting ITA Midwest Regional Championship on Oct. 10 in East Lansing, Mich., where two singles finalists and doubles champions earn spots at NCAA Championships. Last season's doubles title was secured by Illini duo Hunter Heck and Karlis Ozolins.

Pro tournaments such as Winston-Salem M15 Futures, Norman M25 Futures, Charlottesville Challenger, and Fayetteville PTT round out October for Illinois.

November

In early November (Nov. 1-3), Illinois heads to South Bend, Ind., for Notre Dame Mini Duals followed by Knoxville Challenger and Boca Raton PTT pro circuit competitions before seeking additional paths to NCAA Individual Championships.

ITA Conference Masters Championships (Nov. 7-10) in San Diego offer four singles players and three doubles pairs berths into NCAA Championships while ITA Central Sectional (Nov. 7-10) allows six singles players and three doubles duos similar advancement opportunities.

Big Ten Individual Championships (Nov. 7-10) occur simultaneously with Baylor Ranked +1 tournament (Nov.8-10) in Waco Texas; Toledo Zach Barden Memorial happens concurrently during that weekend too.

From Nov .10–17 Atkins Tennis Center hosts its lone home event—the Champaign Challenger—part of ATP Challenger Tour before closing out their fall campaign Nov .19–24 with NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships held once again back Waco Texas

This season marks head coach Brad Dancer's 20th year leading program.

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