Big Ten Conference Women’s Tennis Tournament Coming West to Compete at The Ojai
Nation’s Oldest Athletic Conference Started In 1896 – the Same Year As One Of Country’s Oldest Tournaments – Heads to Ojai for the 123rd Edition Of Historic Event During the Last Week Of April
OJAI, Calif. (December 11, 2024) – The Big Ten Conference is coming to The Ojai.
The Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament will take place April 23-26, 2025, as part of the 123rd annual Ojai Tennis Tournament, Ojai Valley Tennis Club President Carolyn Burke and Big Ten Conference have announced.
The Big Ten Conference – the oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States founded in 1896 – was founded the same year as one of the nation’s oldest tennis tournaments, The Ojai, the classic event played under the massive eucalyptus and oak trees overhanging Libbey Park in downtown Ojai.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome the Big Ten Conference to The Ojai to stage their conference tournaments,” Burke said. “We feel having the Big Ten schools coming to compete will only add to the legacy of our storied tournament.”
“We look forward to partnering with the Ojai Valley Tennis Club as they host the 2025 Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament,” said Becky Pany, Big Ten Conference, Senior Vice President, Sports Administration. “The Ojai will be an exciting post-season opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches and fans, both locally and from across the country.”
Longtime UCLA women’s coach Stella Sampras-Webster was an Ojai Tennis Tournament champion as a junior growing up in Southern California and made two doubles finals and one in singles playing for the Bruins in the early 1990’s.
“We are super excited to have the Big Ten Tournament at Ojai this season,” Sampras-Webster said. “Ojai has a unique charm, and it holds a special place for us. We have so much history playing there. The weather is great, people are so hospitable, and the town is so supportive. It’s such a privilege to be back there to compete for a Big Ten Tournament championship.”
The 17 other Big Ten schools include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, USC, Washington, and Wisconsin. The top 12 teams will earn direct entry and qualify to play at The Ojai.
The 2024 Big Ten Conference Women’s Tennis Tournament took place at the University of Michigan’s Varsity Tennis Center with the Wolverines beating the Ohio State Buckeyes to win the title.
Besides the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament, The Ojai will once again serve as host to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships for teams and individuals that qualify. The Ojai’s Men’s and Women’s Open singles and doubles divisions will be contested as a prize money event. The tournament also includes the Boys’ CIF singles and doubles divisions, and more junior competitions with the Boys’ and Girls’ 14s and 16s draws, and a Girls’ 18s draw. The finals of the CCCAA, the Open and various junior divisions will take place on Sunday, April 27.
Follow The Ojai and Big Ten
For more information check out the tournament website at www.TheOjai.net. Follow The Ojai on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheOjaiTennisTournament, on X @TheOjai, and on Instagram at @OjaiTennis.
Follow Big Ten Conference on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BigTenConference, on X @bigten, and on Instagram at @bigten.
About The Ojai
The Ojai Valley Tennis Club, Inc., is a non-profit organization that was established in 1895 by William Thacher. In 1896, the Ojai Valley Tennis Club initiated its first valley-wide tournament consisting of a single elimination mixed doubles event and The Ojai was born. Today the Ojai Valley Tennis Club is still running The Ojai but has broadened its mission to promoting interest in physical fitness and tennis, and providing recreational facilities for young people throughout the area.
The Ojai Media Contact: Steve Pratt; (310) 408.4555 at stevep@bzapr.com
About the Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The Big Ten Conference sponsors 28 official sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, and the broad-based programs of the 18 Big Ten institutions provide direct financial support for more than 14,000 student-athletes. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.
Big Ten Media Contact: Ashley Harding; (781) 484.6362 at aharding@bigten.org