N.C. Central Eagles Extend Postseason – Earns Bid to UTR NIT Championship

DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central men’s tennis team has accepted its invitation to the UTR Sports NIT Championship at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Ga. on May 7-9. The Eagles are one of six teams to earn a bid this postseason.

Joining NCCU on Berry College’s campus next week will be New Mexico State, Chattanooga, UNC Asheville, Rider and Saint Mary’s. The bracket pairings are scheduled to be announced later, as the tournament will be in single-elimination format.

The Rome Tennis Center was also the host site for the ITA Conference Masters this past November, where the duo of Hugo Hidalgo Vega and Rodrigo Alves played for a chance to qualify for a spot in the NCAA Doubles Championship.

Since 2023, the UTR Sports NIT Championship has created postseason opportunities for men’s and women’s tennis teams. As stated on the UTR Sports website, “The teams are selected by the NIT Championship tournament committee, with the teams’ UTR Sports College Team Ranking among the top criteria for consideration.”

NC Central has reached historic heights this season, sitting at a 16-6 overall record, the best in the Division I era since 2015’s 11-10 finish. At the 2025 MEAC Tennis Championship, the Maroon & Gray advanced to the finals as the two-seed, ultimately falling to No.1 South Carolina State in the title match. 

Hidalgo Vega was an All-MEAC First Team selection, while Alves and Kareem Abdul Hakim earned positions on the Second Team. Head coach D. Curtis Lawson was named the conference’s Co-Coach of the Year.

Matches will be streamed on the Rome Tennis Center’s PlaySight platform, similar to the viewing experience when the Eagles played at Cary Tennis Park this season. Fans can also keep up with live scoring on iOnCourt.