IRVING, Texas – Four American Athletic Conference teams were among the 64 squads that were chosen for the 2022 NCAA Men's Tennis Championship.
SMU, which won its first American Athletic Conference men's tennis title last week, will begin tournament play against LSU in Austin, Texas, as the Mustangs return to the NCAA tournament for the 24th time overall and the first time since the 2017 season. SMU is 1-1 all-time against the Tigers in NCAA tournament play, with a win in the 1986 tournament and a loss in the 1998 bracket. SMU would face either Idaho or No. 12-seeded Texas in the second round with a win against the Tigers.
South Florida will make its 15th NCAA appearance as the Bulls were paired against Miami (Fla.) in the first round in Gainesville, Florida. The Bulls defeated Duke in their first-round match in Gainesville last season before falling to Florida in the regional final. A win against the Hurricanes would send South Florida to a second-round matchup against either New Orleans or No. 2-seeded Florida.
Memphis is in the NCAA Championship for the eighth time overall and the fifth time in the last six tournaments. The Tigers will face Duke in a first-round match in Knoxville, Tennessee, with a second-round match against either Tennessee Tech or No. 6-seeded Tennessee awaiting the winner. Memphis knocked off Georgia Tech in the first round in Knoxville last year before falling to the Volunteers in the second round.
Tulsa will make its 18th NCAA tournament appearance, and its first since 2016, as the Golden Hurricane will face Texas A&M in Waco, Texas. The Golden Hurricane has been sent two Waco twice previously in its NCAA history (2006, 2013) and has won its first-round match both times. Tulsa would face either Abilene Christian or No. 3-seeded Baylor in the second round with a win against the Aggies.
The four American Athletic Conference teams selected for the NCAA Championship marks the fourth time in the last six tournaments that The American has had at least four NCAA teams.
First- and second-round competition takes place May 6-7 and features four teams playing in a single-elimination format. The winner of each site advances to super-regional competition May 13 or 14. Each super-regional site will feature two teams playing a single-elimination format. The super-regional winners advance to the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex in Champaign, Illinois, where the eight teams will compete for the national championship May 19-22. The event will be hosted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
2022 NCAA MEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
American Athletic Conference pairings
First Round | May 6 or 7
Gainesville, Fla.
South Florida (14-10) vs. Miami (Fla.) (16-9)
(2) Florida (23-2) vs. New Orleans (16-6)
Knoxville, Tenn.
Memphis (16-7) vs. Duke (16-8)
(6) Tennessee (22-7) vs. Tennessee Tech (8-12)
Waco, Texas
Tulsa (15-11) vs. Texas A&M (21-13)
(3) Baylor (26-3) vs. Abilene Christian (12-11)
Austin, Texas
SMU (22-6) vs. LSU (15-11)
(12) Texas (16-10) vs. Idaho (13-10)