University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville Announces Plans to Build $4 Million On-Campus Tennis Facility
07.18.2024 | General, Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis, Athletics News
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - UNC Asheville Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone announced today, Thursday, July 18, that a $4 million outdoor tennis facility will be built on the campus of UNC Asheville. The on-campus facility will replace the Bulldog hardcourts located on the property of Asheville Racquet Club Downtown, which will be demolished due to the I-26 connector project. A feasibility study by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architects determined that an on-campus facility would best serve not only UNC Asheville student-athletes but also the campus and local community.
The project is part of the ALL IN Comprehensive Campaign and will be funded through gifts from donors, corporate partners, alumni and grants. In addition, much like the recently completed Karl Straus Track, community members will be able to reserve court time for lessons and play. The University also expects to bid on hosting the Big South Conference and other tennis championships, such as USTA Adaptive Tennis, and to create tennis programs for youth and adults, including camps and clinics.
The facility will be located on the site of an existing parking lot at the corner of Broadway and Campus Drive, and will feature six competition courts with viewing stands. Plans also include a dedicated tennis building that will house coaches' offices, team locker rooms, storage, a sports medicine room and public bathrooms.Â
"Coming on the heels of two Big South Conference Tennis Championships in Men's and Women's tennis this past spring along with alum Henry Patten '19 winning the Gentlemen's Doubles Championship at Wimbledon, this is the perfect opportunity to kick-off this campaign," stated Cone.
"The new tennis facility will allow us to grow our programs by offering our student-athletes top-notch training facilities," said head women's tennis coach Lise Gregory. "The teams will finally have their own locker rooms and other amenities that will help them in their daily lives as students first and athletes second."
"First, having the proposed facility at our disposal on campus will greatly enhance our student-athlete experience," said head men's tennis coach Matt Frost. "Second, it will greatly improve our recruiting and retention of student-athletes as we set out on our journey to become a dominant force in the Big South."
For more information about this project, including naming opportunities for the entire facility, individual tennis courts, locker rooms, lobby or coaches' offices, please contact Janet R. Cone, Director of Athletics, at jcone@unca.edu or (828) 251-6922.