Payers & Players Podcast

Who is actually playing Division I men's college tennis, and what do the numbers reveal about the current recruiting landscape? In this episode we go beyond opinions and examine the data. We compiled the rosters of all 230 NCAA Division I men's tennis programs and conducted a comprehensive analysis of the players, nationality, and their competitive levels. We break down: American vs. International: How many roster spots are occupied by American players versus international players, and how does that vary across conferences? Player Ages: How old are D1 tennis players, and how many incoming freshmen are older than the traditional college freshman? UTR Levels: How are players distributed across different UTR tiers, and what does that tell us about the competitive landscape? Recruiting and Conference Tiers: Where are the highest-rated players going? We examine the differences between Power 4, Ivy League, strong mid-major, and other D1 programs. Incoming Players: Who is entering college tennis in 2026–27, and how does the composition of the newest recruiting class compare with the overall rosters? The numbers provide an interesting perspective on the state of college tennis, the growing international presence, and the opportunities available to American junior players. Next week: We turn our attention to NCAA Division I women's tennis, applying the same analysis to examine roster composition, ages, UTR levels, and recruiting trends on the women's side.

We talk college tennis from the D3 perspective with defending National Champion, Denison's Dave Schilling. Schills spent 19 as Ty Tucker's assistant coach at Ohio State before taking over his alma mater in 2019. In 5 years he took the program to its 1st National Title. https://denisonbigred.com/sports/mens-tennis Topics: D1 philosophy works at the D3 level Recruiting

Cooper Williams returns to the podcast and joins us from the capital of the ITF Futures world - Monastir, Tunisia! We first talked to Cooper in 2021 (episode 67) and have followed his success - #3 Junior ITF, top collegiate player and now winning pro titles. Cooper spent three weeks in Monastir and took home 2 first place trophies. We talk about why going to Monastir makes sense for pro players and how he manages his summer schedule.

James McKie - UTR Sports Director of Player Relations, and former associate HC at Tennessee (2017-24). James talks about his journey from College tennis player to coach to his current role at UTR. UTR is helping juniors and college tennis players improve their development with alternate and innovate tennis events. UTR's Summer Slam: https://www.utrsports.net/pages/pro-tennis#summer-slam

Tennis Parent, Mark Bowers, share his wisdom and advice on parenting two D1 college tennis players - Ashton (University of Texas) and Tyler (University of Illinois).