University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
UNC Asheville Athletics Receives $250,000 Leadership Gift Toward Tennis Facility
03.31.2025 | General, Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - UNC Asheville Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone announced on Monday, March 31, that an anonymous donor has made a $250,000 Matching Challenge gift towards UNC Asheville's new on-campus tennis facility. This matching gift challenge provides an incentive for Bulldog donors, former student-athletes, university alumni, and friends to play a role in helping the Athletic Department to Dream Bigger and Achieve More. New gifts of any size designated for the Tennis Facility Project will count toward the Challenge Gift.
"We are extremely grateful to our donor for making this generous challenge gift to support our on-campus tennis facility," said Cone. "Bringing our tennis courts back on campus is a crucial part of enhancing the student-athlete experience and continuing to cultivate a culture of athletic success and community engagement. We hope our Bulldog alumni and friends will step up to meet this challenge."Â Â
The announcement of the on-campus tennis facility came back on July 18, 2024. The on-campus facility will replace the Bulldog hard courts 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 to host the Big South Conference and other tennis championships, such as USTA Adaptive Tennis, and create tennis programs for youth and adults, including camps and clinics.Â
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Call or email Janet R. Cone, Director of Athletics, at jcone@unca.edu or (828) 251-6922 to make a gift to the Tennis Project. You can also make your donation online at https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/2533/donations/new.