With the collegiate dual match season in full swing, one of the most exciting events of the season will get underway next week as the 2023 ITA Kickoff Weekend gets underway.
Taking place across college campuses around the country, the ITA Kickoff Weekend will be played from Jan. 27-30 and is set to be covered by Cracked Racquets through their CrossCourt Cast. For complete event details, please read below:
What Is It
The ITA Kickoff Weekend is one of the marquee events of the spring season bringing together the top 60 men’s and women’s college tennis teams for a weekend of intense competition. Hosted by 15 men’s and women’s programs from across the country, the ITA Kickoff Weekend is an early-season test for teams against programs they might not typically face.
Not just playing for pride, the stakes will be high for Kickoff Weekend play as all 120 competing teams are looking to be just one of the 15 teams from each gender to advance to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
When Is It
The 2023 ITA Kickoff Weekend will take place from Jan. 27-30 across various campus sites across the country.
Where Is It
For the men, the ITA Kickoff Weekend host sites are: Baylor, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State, South Carolina, Stanford, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, USC, Virginia, and Wake Forest
For the women, the ITA Kickoff Weekend host sites are: Auburn, California, Duke, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, and Virginia
How To Watch
Cracked Racquets will be providing a centralized CrossCourt Cast experience for the 2023 ITA Kickoff Weekend.
The Cracked Racquets stream on YouTube will incorporate every match happening across 13 men’s and women’s sites. This live stream will focus on broadcasting the most exciting moments of each match from the sites they are covering.
Broadcasts will begin with the day’s first match and proceed until all play has concluded.
Men’s Host Sites Featured – Baylor, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio State, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, USC
Women’s Host Sites Featured – Auburn, Cal, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, Stanford
Event Format
The format for the 2023 ITA Kickoff Weekend will follow the traditional collegiate format, with teams playing the best of seven matches, with doubles accounting for one of the possible seven points, and singles accounting for the remaining six points.
With four teams playing at each host site, the winning teams from the opening round will meet in the second round to determine who advances to the 2023 ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
Who Advanced Last Year
2022 Men’s Kickoff Weekend Advancing Teams – Baylor, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, USC, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, Virginia, and Wake Forest
2022 Women’s Kickoff Weekend Advancing Teams – Auburn, California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, NC State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Old Dominion, Pepperdine, USC, Texas, Texas A&M, Virginia, and Washington
How The Field Is Determined:
Each season, the ITA Kickoff Weekend field is determined by the ITA Kickoff Weekend Draft which is held in the summer months after the dual-match season. The Top 15 ranked teams in the final ITA Rankings of the season will automatically serve as hosts for both men’s and women’s teams.
In the draft, teams and coaches have the opportunity to choose where they would like to play. The picks start with the No. 16 ranked team and conclude with the No. 60 ranked team (or until all 60 spots are filled).
Is there a schedule for each site that we can see?
I do not see a schedule of the matches anywhere.
Try the event page at http://www.wearecollegetennis.com/championships/ita-kick-off-weekend
@Bob Johnson, this is the best I could find. https://slam.tennis/ita/draft/2023/ncaaw/bracket