ITA and Universal Tennis Announce UTR/ITA National Player of the Month/Week Awards Program
TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) today announced that Universal Tennis and Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) Powered by Oracle will serve as the official title sponsor of a newly-instituted UTR/ITA National Player of the Month/Week Awards program that will debut this fall.
“We are excited to work with Universal Tennis to support intercollegiate tennis through its sponsorship of the UTR/ITA National Player of the Month/Week Award initiative,” Timothy Russell, ITA Chief Executive Officer, said. “The ITA already has the most extensive awards program in all of college athletics and the addition of a national player of the month/week award builds upon that while also recognizing the outstanding achievements of student-athletes throughout the season.”
The UTR/ITA national awards program will honor male and female individuals from all five divisions (NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and Junior College) beginning with monthly awards in the fall (September, October, November) and moving to a weekly award during the spring dual-match season.
A player’s current Universal Tennis Rating Powered by Oracle and ITA ranking and that of his or her opponents will be part of the criteria used in the selection of the winners. Institution athletics communications directors will submit nominations to the ITA for selection.
UTR is the global gold standard for all tennis players which reflects their current skill level based on actual performance and is used by college coaches for evaluating player ability, seeding, selection and more.
“We are excited to collaborate with the ITA to present the new UTR/ITA National Player of the Month awards program and provide a new opportunity to showcase the tremendous talent of student-athletes who are competing at the collegiate level,” Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis Chairman & CEO, said.
A total of 22 player of the month awards will be announced in the fall and 98 players of the week will be honored in the spring.
About the Intercollegiate Tennis Association
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is committed to serving college tennis and returning the leaders of tomorrow. As the governing body of college tennis, the ITA oversees men’s and women’s varsity tennis at NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College divisions. The ITA administers a comprehensive awards and rankings program for men’s and women’s varsity players, coaches and teams in all divisions, providing recognition for their accomplishments on and off the court. For more information on the ITA, visit the ITA website at www.itatennis.com , like the ITA on Facebook or follow @ITA_Tennis on Twitter and Instagram.
About Universal Tennis Rating
The mission of Universal Tennis is to make tennis more affordable, accessible and fun for all players, regardless of age, gender, level and socioeconomic status. Anchored by the Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) Powered by Oracle - the world’s most accurate tennis rating system - Universal Tennis is creating opportunities and pathways for players from all over the world, in all stages of life, to find better matches and unlock a more fun and flexible tennis experience. Visit MyUTR.com to learn more.
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Al Barba, Director of Communications, Marketing & Advanced Media Intercollegiate Tennis Association 602-687-6379 abarba@itatennis.com
