Tempe, AZ – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (“ITA”) is proud to announce the successful conclusion of the first year of the newly reimagined ITA Community Service Challenge. As a two month initiative, this challenge encouraged college tennis programs to get out within their local communities to give back to those who have given them so much.
Building on the groundwork laid by the ITA Community Service Month, this updated community focused challenge spanned the length of October and November with prizes being awarded to programs who went above and beyond throughout the two months.
“This first year of the revamped Community Service Challenge exceeded every expectation,” said ITA CEO David Mullins. “Programs embraced the expanded format with enthusiasm, and the result was an extraordinary amount of positive change in communities across the country. We look forward to building on this momentum in the years ahead during this critical time for collegiate athletics.”
Aimed to instill a lifelong commitment to service while showcasing the positive impact student-athletes have beyond the court, the ITA Community Service Challenge was reimagined around input from the ITA Student-Athlete Council, a collection of current college tennis players who work alongside the ITA to make meaningful change within our sport.
Finishing the challenge in first place was the Fresno State Women’s Tennis Team. Led by head coach Denise Dy, the Fresno State team more than doubled the next closest team in total hours as well as total team score which accounts for the total number of team members participating in the activity.
Using their courts to welcome in the community, Fresno State held adaptive tennis clinics for a local children’s hospital, wheelchair tennis clinics alongside their universities club wheelchair tennis program, as well as numerous other activities that brought community members to their courts to take part in activities supported by the volunteers on the women’s tennis team. The team will now receive $1,500, the distinction of being awarded the ITA National Community Service Award, and the head coach will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2026 Nitto ATP Finals courtesy of Dunlop.
“The work we do off the court is just as important as the competition on it,” stated Fresno State Women’s Tennis Head Coach, Denise Dy. “Winning this award confirms the commitment our student-athletes have to giving back to the great community and people of the Central Valley.”
Finishing just behind Fresno State in the standing was the Louisiana Women’s Tennis Team. Taking part in a number of service activities, the Ragin’ Cajuns volunteered at a local food bank, an animal shelter, as well as a homeless shelter during the two month challenge. By finishing in second place, the Louisiana Women’s Tennis Team will receive $1,000 and a Dunlop prize package in recognition of their hard work.
In addition to these two top finishers, two random drawings were also held in which any team who completes at least 10 service hours will be eligible for (1), as well any team that posts their community service projects on social media with the hashtag, #CollegeTennisServes (2) will be eligible for a $500 prize. The winners of these two drawings were the University of Idaho Men’s Tennis Team (10+ service hours) and the Texas A&M University, Kingsville Women’s Tennis Team (social media).
“We are profoundly grateful for the overwhelming participation in our inaugural two-month ITA Community Service Challenge,” stated ITA Community Manager & Digital Products Coordinator, Elicia Smith. “The collective effort was truly remarkable: participating teams dedicated just over 675 hours of community service, making a tangible impact in their communities. We extend our sincere thanks to every participant. We are excited to see teams build upon this impressive momentum and continue their commitment to service.”
We thank all teams and student-athletes who participated in the ITA Community Service Challenge for taking the time to give back to their communities. We encourage continued community service activities throughout the remainder of the academic year and look forward to seeing college tennis as one of the most active collegiate sports within many local communities around the country.
ITA Community Service Challenge Standings: Top 20 Finishers
No. 1: Fresno State Women’s Tennis
No. 2: University of Louisiana Women’s Tennis
No. 3: Texas A&M Kingville Women’s Tennis
No. 4: Northwestern – St. Paul Men’s Tennis
No. 5: East Carolina Women’s Tennis
No. 6: Hobart/William Smith Men’s Tennis
No. 7: Belmont University Men’s Tennis
No. 8: North Dakota Women’s Tennis
No. 9: Northwestern – St. Paul Women’s Tennis
No. 10: University of Idaho Men’s Tennis
No. 11: Rust College Men’s Tennis
No. 12: Western Illinois Women’s Tennis
No. 13: Temple Men’s Tennis
No. 14: UAB Women’s Tennis
No. 15: Tennessee Women’s Tennis
No. 16: Rust College Women’s Tennis
No. 17: Binghamton Women’s Tennis
No. 18: SIUE Women’s Tennis
No. 19: University of the Pacific Women’s Tennis
No. 20: Belmont Abbey Women’s Tennis
About the ITA: The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is the governing body and coaches association of college tennis, both an advocate and an authority for the sport and its members. Comprised of 1,260 colleges and universities, 20,000 student-athletes, 1,700 varsity programs, 3,000 coaches, and 1,350 college tennis officials, the ITA empowers college tennis coaches at all levels to deliver vibrant tennis programs that are vital to their college communities and transformational to their student-athletes. Follow the college tennis season on the ITA website and ITA social channels on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.