College Tennis – The Primary Source of the Teaching and Coaching Workforce

College Tennis Serves Its Players and the Industry

College tennis serves about 16,000 of the 24 million tennis players in the United States. College tennis bridges junior and adult tennis programs for many players. If scholarships are available, tennis athletes may have an opportunity to receive a college education at a reduced rate. 

College tennis may be a stepping-stone for a small number of players who aspire to play or coach on the pro tour. Examples are Ben Shelton, John Isner, Chris Eubanks, Peyton Stearns, Danielle Collins, and Emma Navarro.

Finally, some athletes want to stay around tennis after their college eligibility has expired. They may decide to coach tennis, work as a teaching professional, or work in marketing or management positions for tennis-related businesses.

NCAA Sponsorship and Participation

The following analysis uses NCAA data from its annual report, NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates (1956-57 through 2023-24), updated on September 19, 2024. The report, available on the NCAA website, summarizes program activity for all sports from its member schools. The data considers the sponsorship and the number of participants for the three NCAA divisions (DI, DII, and DIII) but does not include the junior college and NAIA divisions.

This report looks at sponsorship (or number of programs or teams) and participation data for the 1997-98 to 2023-24 seasons.

Quick Facts Men’s and Women’s Tennis Sponsorship and Participation (Chart I)

• There were 1,609 teams (blue line) in the 1997-98 season and 1,539 in the 2023-24 season. Over this period, the number of total teams decreased by 70.

• The peak number of teams was 1,706 in 2012-13, and the lowest was 1,539 in 2023-24.

• There were 15,783 athletes in 1997-98 and 15,817 in 2023-24. There was an increase of 34 athletes over this period.

• The number of athletes peaked in 2014-15 at 17,171 and fell to a low of 15,252 in 2020-21. The trough was during the pandemic.

• The number of athletes has since increased as the number of players on each roster increased after the pandemic.

• In 2023-24, 57.6% of the teams were women, and 52.6% of the athletes were women.

College tennis was at its peak between the 2011-12 and 2015-16 seasons. In each of these seasons, there were more than 1,694 teams and 17,000 tennis athletes.

Men’s Sponsorship

Quick Facts Men’s Sponsorship (Chart II and Table I)

• The tennis community is most familiar with D1 men’s tennis. In 2023-24, slightly more than one-third of men’s teams play DI tennis.

• Since 1997-98, the number of DI and DII teams has declined.

• The number of men’s teams decreased in DIII, although average roster sizes increased slightly.

Men’s Participation

Quick Facts Men’s Participation (Chart III and Table II)

• There was a downward trend in DI participation beginning in 1997-98. The number of DII teams is down, but participation is flat because the average roster size increased during the pandemic.

• Between the seasons 2010-11 and 2015-16, there were more than 8,050 total men’s participants each season. The totals for all other seasons were less.

• For the seasons from 2011-12 through 2015-16, there were at least 765 total men’s teams each season. The total for all other seasons was less.

Women’s Sponsorship

Quick Facts Women’s Sponsorship (Chart IV and Table III)

• The sponsorship in DI teams (red) was more consistent than in other divisions. There was a slight increase and a pandemic-related decrease.

• For the seasons between 2009-10 and 2015-16, there were at least 929 women’s teams.

• About 34% of the teams are DI.

Women’s Participation

Quick Facts Women’s Participation (Chart V and Table IV)

• The participation in DI teams (red) was consistent.

• For the seasons between 2009-10 and 2015-16, there were at least 8,900 total women’s participants.

• The peak number of DIII (blue) teams was 4,081 in 2015-16, and the lowest level was 3,521 in 2023-24.

College Tennis Impact – Local Community and Industry

College tennis programs are often not fully appreciated for their impact on local communities and the tennis industry.

• They have tennis resources (coaches, players, and facilities) that communities often have access to.

• Local programs (high school, club, and parks and recreation) directly and indirectly play and benefit from the local expertise of college coaches or players.

• Most college tennis athletes are talented students and excellent role models.

• In addition, communities can watch quality college tennis. Many college teams play at a higher level than most local players.

College tennis programs are a great training ground for future tennis coaches, teaching professionals, or managers in the tennis industry.

• Quality athletic departments have a holistic approach to support and educate athletes about mental and physical health, nourishment/diet, sleep, academics, and integrity.

• College tennis athletes learn to manage and balance a rigorous academic, training, and playing schedule.

• Athletes develop an understanding of the importance of high-quality coaching, training, structured practices, purpose, preparation, communications, and the discipline required to be competitive tennis players. In addition, they understand the value of networking, teamwork, leadership, and goal setting.

• College tennis teams have a diverse mix of athletes with varied domestic and global playing backgrounds. They are accustomed to working as a team with members who may have different ideas and cultures.

College tennis programs are the primary source of the workforce for career teaching professionals and coaches. Because college athletic programs have improved over the years, many tennis athletes have a much better background for being career professionals than their predecessors had ten years ago.

The industry can raise its standards because there are more talented prospects who can benefit from industry programs that help teaching professionals and coaches at all levels refine their skills. The industry can also strengthen its labor force participation rate of women professionals. Over half of college tennis players are women, but some estimates indicate that only one in six teaching professionals or coaches are women.

The Future of College Tennis

The sponsorship and participation data indicates that men’s and women’s NCAA programs posted their strongest sponsorship and participation between 2011-12 and 2015-16. While the tennis industry saw an influx of tennis players from COVID-related policies, college tennis participation declined and has not recovered. In addition, many non-revenue college sports programs must manage regulations, NIL, fallout from the pandemic, and reduced funding.

Given the headwinds, it is difficult to speculate what will happen to college tennis over the next decade. Tennis is an elite sport, which is a mixed blessing. On a positive note, the long-standing or elite college programs may not be affected. On the other hand, tennis may be eliminated as a college sport or restructured to address the challenges.

Tennis industry leaders must understand that college tennis is the primary source of the workforce for teaching professionals who drive the United States tennis industry. They must make it a top priority to ensure that college tennis, or an alternate form, provides qualified men and women tennis athletes with an opportunity to provide the leadership and teaching expertise to lead the industry in the years ahead.

In addition, Gary Horvath has conducted extensive business and economic research that has largely supported the state of Colorado's economic development efforts.