Chambana Sun

The Illinois men's tennis team has secured an at-large spot in the 2025 NCAA Team Tournament, marking its 18th appearance under veteran head coach Brad Dancer. During the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Monday, the Fighting Illini learned they will compete in the TCU Regional.

Illinois is set to face Oklahoma in the first round on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. The victor of this matchup will advance to play either the host team, No. 2 TCU, or Abilene Christian in the second round on Saturday. The specific times for these matches are yet to be announced.

The Illini, making their 28th overall appearance at the national event, possess a 53-26 record in NCAA Tournament play. In 2024, Illinois advanced to the second round with a 4-1 victory over Toledo, before narrowly losing to No. 5 Kentucky, 4-3.

Throughout 27 NCAA Tournament appearances, the team has reached the second round 23 times, the third round 17 times, the quarterfinals seven times, the semifinals three times, and the final twice. The program's sole national championship came during an undefeated 2003 season.

Entering the tournament with a 15-11 record and a 7-6 conference dual mark, Illinois was the No. 8 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, reaching the quarterfinals before being narrowly defeated 4-3 by host and top-seeded No. 6 Ohio State.

The first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament will occur at 16 host sites from May 2-5, with super regionals featuring the 16 advancing teams from May 9-11. The finals, featuring the last eight teams, are scheduled for May 16-18 at Baylor's Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas.