BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – A handful of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) tennis teams will soon get a jump on the 2025-26 season.
While the majority of the tennis season is played during the spring semester ahead of the NCAA Division III Championships in May, MIAC rules now allow for conference play during the fall segment as well. Given the uncertainty of spring weather in Minnesota, the ability to shift matches to the fall is intended to provide increased opportunities for student-athletes to play matches outside and on campus.
Seven conference tennis matches are currently scheduled to be played in September and October, along with several non-conference matches, and the annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Midwest Regional and ITA Cup tournaments later this fall.
Gustavus is again scheduled to host both the Men’s and Women’s ITA Midwest Regionals in September. The Women’s Regional is scheduled for September 19-22, with the Men’s Regional to follow on September 26-29. The ITA Cup - formerly known as the “Small College Nationals” - will be held at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Georgia, on October 16-19. Singles and doubles finalists from the Midwest Regional will receive automatic entry into the ITA Cup.
The majority of conference matches will be played in the spring of 2026. The 2025-26 regular season will run through Sunday, April 26, and the conference playoffs will get underway days later. The MIAC Women’s Tennis Quarterfinals will take place on Tuesday, April 28, with the Men’s Quarterfinals occurring on Wednesday, April 29. The Women’s Semifinals will be on Thursday, April 30, followed by the Men’s Semifinals the next day. Both the Men’s and Women’s Playoff championship matches are set for Saturday, May 2. The winner of the MIAC Playoffs will receive the conference's automatic bids to the 2026 NCAA Division III Men's and Women’s Tennis Championships. The 2026 NCAA Division III Championships are scheduled for May 19-26, 2026, at the Champions Tennis Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
2024-25 FINAL STANDINGS
MIAC Men’s Tennis
Gustavus (20-12, 9-0)*#%
Carleton (17-4, 8-1)
Bethel (14-7, 7-2)
St. Olaf (7-8, 5-4)
St. Scholastica (8-9, 4-5)
Concordia (7-10, 4-5)
Macalester (8-9, 3-6)
Saint John’s (8-9, 3-6)
Hamline (7-12, 2-7)
Saint Mary’s (7-13, 0-9) |
MIAC Women’s Tennis
Gustavus (27-8, 10-0)*#%
Carleton (15-4, 9-1)
Bethel (14-6, 8-2)
St. Olaf (13-4, 7-3)
St. Catherine (13-6, 6-4)
St. Scholastica (11-8, 5-5)
Hamline (13-8, 4-6)
Saint Mary’s (13-8, 3-7)
Saint Benedict (7-11, 2-8)
Macalester (3-15, 1-9)
Concordia (0-19, 0-10) |
*MIAC Regular Season Champion
#MIAC Playoff Champion
%NCAA Championship Participant |
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RULE CHANGES
The ITA and NCAA have adopted a seven-point team score format for all Division III dual matches following a one-year pilot conducted last season. The team that wins two of the three doubles matches receives one dual match point. Each singles match is worth one point. Four or more points are required to win the dual match. The three doubles matches will be followed by six singles matches. The format is three 6-game set doubles matches with a 7-point tiebreak at 6-all. Doubles will be followed by six best-of-three set singles matches. Of note, MIAC coaches have voted to pursue utilizing a 10-point super-tiebreaker for the third set of singles. If approved by the NCAA, that adjustment will be effective for all conference matches this season.
AWARD WATCH
The 2025-26 MIAC Tennis All-Conference honors will be announced following the conclusion of the regular season. All-Conference designation is awarded on the basis of a player’s win-loss record in MIAC dual meets only. The top 18 players, according to points accrued in both singles and doubles, will receive All-Conference. A men’s tennis player must participate in a minimum of five conference matches at any position, and a women’s tennis player must participate in a minimum of six conference matches at any position to be eligible for All-Conference. In addition to All-Conference, MIAC coaches will also vote on honorable mention distinction and individual recipients for Singles Player, Doubles Team, Rookie, and Coach of the Year, as well as the senior athlete character awards (Chris Evert Award for women’s tennis and Arthur Ashe Award for men’s tennis). To be eligible for Rookie of the Year honors, a student-athlete must be a true college first-year student (not a transfer from another institution or an academic sophomore/junior/senior who has not used eligibility.
Throughout the regular season, the MIAC will recognize top individual performances with the MIAC Tennis Athlete of the Week awards. Tennis Athlete of the Week awards will be issued throughout the academic year when at least three MIAC teams have competed in a given week and nominations for outstanding performances have been submitted.
LOOKING AHEAD
First Non-Conference Match Date: Friday, September 12
First Conference Match Date: Saturday, September 20
MIAC Playoffs: Tuesday, April 28 (Women’s Quarterfinals), Wednesday, April 29 (Men’s Quarterfinals), Thursday, April 30 (Women’s Semifinals), Friday, May 1 (Men’s Semifinals), Saturday, May 2 (Championships)
Men’s Season Links: Standings | Schedule | News | Statistics | Athletes of the Week | Playoffs | Record Book
Women’s Season Links: Standings | Schedule | News | Statistics | Athletes of the Week | Playoffs | Record Book