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Texas A&M Selected to Host NCAA First and Second Rounds for Eighth Straight NCAA Tournament

The 2021 selection marks the 28th overall appearance for the men's tennis team in the NCAA Tournament.
Credit: kags

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The eighth-ranked Texas A&M men's tennis team received its 27th consecutive bid to the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship, announced Monday evening. The Aggies were named one of 16 host schools as the No. 8 seed and host first-and second-round action at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center, May 7-8. The Maroon and White take on New Mexico (8-9) in the NCAA opening round, while No. 24 Oklahoma (10-14) and Denver (16-3) compete in the other first-round contest.

First-round matches in College Station begin on Friday, May 7, with the Sooners and Pioneers facing off at 11 a.m., followed by the Aggies (16-8) and Lobos at 2 p.m. The two winners will meet at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, to determine which team advances to next weekend’s Round of 16 matchup against the winner of the regional in Orlando, hosted by No. 9 Central Florida.

The 2021 selection marks the 28th overall appearance for the men's tennis team in the NCAA Tournament.

 

The NCAA Selection Committee named Florida (1), Baylor (2), Tennessee (3), Texas (4), Virginia (5), North Carolina (6), TCU (7), Texas A&M (8), UCF (9), Wake Forest (10), Georgia (11), Southern Cal (12), South Carolina (13), Kentucky (14), Ole Miss (15) and Illinois (16) the national seeds. In addition to the seven national seeds from the SEC, four additional teams were named to the field of 64 (Alabama, Arkansas, LSU and Mississippi State).

All-session and single match tickets will be on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Texas A&M students with a valid student ID are free, compliments of Texas A&M head coach Steve Denton. Tickets can be purchased online at www.12thmanfoundation.com/tickets, by phone at 888-992-4443 or in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kyle Field Box Office located on the north end of the stadium. Tickets also will be available for purchase on match days at the Mitchell Tennis Center beginning one hour before match time.

 

NCAA Singles and Doubles brackets will be announced Tuesday on NCAA.com.

 

FOLLOW THE AGGIES

Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M men’s tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M men’s tennis team on Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter by following @AggieMTEN.

 

NCAA NOTES

- The Aggies are 43-28 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Round of Sixteen 14 times, the Round of Eight three times and the NCAA Semifinal in 2018.

- Head Coach Steve Denton is 23-13 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

- With this season’s appearance, Texas A&M has advanced to 28 NCAA Tournaments and made 27 consecutive appearances.

- Texas A&M is 26-8 all-time against Oklahoma, 5-3 versus New Mexico and have never faced Denver.

TEXAS A&M HEAD COACH STEVE DENTON QUOTES

On hosting the first and second rounds …

“The team is very excited to host this year given there was no guarantee.  With many metrics to consider, the NCAA committee had a very difficult task in front of them in deciding the seeds, hosting institutions and the draw itself. We are grateful for the opportunity for our seniors to play one more time on our home courts in front of the 12th Man. Our team has played many tough matches this season and now we all start from scratch. This is the most exciting time of the year."

 

On the three teams headed to Bryan-College Station…

"I think we have a very good region. New Mexico has had a solid year and been in several close matches so we will need to be ready on Friday for a fight. Denver won their conference this year and are always a challenge as former assistant at Texas, Ricardo Rubio, who has been the head coach of Denver for a while always has his players prepared to play at a high level. Oklahoma is always a tough out as they are good up and down the singles and doubles line up and play in one of the toughest conferences in the country. In fact, the Big 12  boasts 3 of the top seven in Baylor Texas And TCU so Oklahoma has been battle tested against great teams all year. Should be a great couple of days of tennis. The team will need to be sharp to advance to Orlando."

 

NCAA FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS

(Mitchell Tennis Center, College Station, Texas)

First Round

Friday, May 7

No. 24 Oklahoma (10-14) vs. Denver (16-3), 11 a.m.

No. 8 Texas A&M (16-8) vs New Mexico (8-9), 2 p.m.

 

Second Round

Saturday, May 8

Oklahoma/Denver winner vs. Texas A&M/New Mexico winner, 2 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION:

Tickets to the first and second-round matches can be purchased in advance at 12thManFoundation.com/tickets or during business hours at the Athletic Ticket Office located at Kyle Field or by calling the ticket office at 1-888-99-AGGIE or 979-845-2311. Tickets also will be available for purchase on match days at the Mitchell Tennis Center beginning one hour before match time.

$5 Single Day General Admission

$3 Single Day Student/Youth General Admission

Free for children under age two in General Admission seating

TEXAS A&M MEN'S TENNIS NCAA HISTORY: 27 TIMES (26 CONSECUTIVE)

2020 – No NCAA Tournament (COVID-19)

2019 – (13th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Texas A&M Corpus Christi (4-0): lost to Oklahoma (4-3

2018 – (5th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Lamar (4-0); beat Baylor (4-1)

Won in Round of 16 against Alabama (4-0) (Wake Forest)

Won in Quarterfinals against Florida (4-3) (Wake Forest)

Lost in Semifinals against Wake Forest (4-3) (Wake Forest)

2017 – (12th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Buffalo (4-0); beat Oregon (4-0)

Lost in Round of 16 to #5 UCLA (4-1) (Georgia)

2016 – (12th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat George Washington (4-0); lost to Texas (4-3)

2015 – (6th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Eastern Kentucky (4-0); beat Oklahoma State (4-2)

Won in Round of 16 against #11 Ohio State (4-3) (Baylor, played at SMU due to weather)

Lost in Quarterfinals to #3 Virginia (4-0) (Baylor)

2014 - (8th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Alcorn State (4-0); lost to Cal (4-3)

2013 - (12th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Marist (4-0); beat Texas (4-3)

Lost in Round of 16 to #5 Ohio State (4-0) (Illinois)

2012 - Beat South Carolina (4-0); lost to host USC (4-0)

2011 - (9th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Alcorn State (4-0); beat LSU (4-0)

Lost in Round of 16 to #8 Stanford (4-2) (Stanford)

2010 - (10th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Prairie View A&M (4-0); beat Ole Miss (4-2)

Lost in Round of 16 to #7 Baylor (4-1) (Georgia)

2009 - (15th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Binghamton (4-0); beat Arizona (4-0)

Lost in Round of 16 to #2 Ole Miss (4-1) (College Station)

2008 - Beat SMU (4-1); lost to host #9 Baylor (4-2)

2007 - Beat Rice (4-2); lost to host #3 Baylor (4-0)

2006 - (16th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat UTA (4-0); lost to Notre Dame (4-2)

2005 - (16th seed) Beat Montana State (4-0); beat Boise State (4-0) (Boise, ID)

Lost in Round of 16 to #1 Baylor (4-0) (College Station)

2004- Beat Alabama (4-0); beat host Virginia Commonwealth (4-0) (Richmond, VA)

Lost in Round of 16 to #3 UCLA (4-1) (Tulsa)

2003 - (10th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Maryland-BC (4-0); beat South Florida (4-1)

Lost in Round of 16 to #6 Vanderbilt (4-1) (Georgia)

2002 - (16th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Southern (4-0); beat LSU (4-0)

Lost in Round of 16 to #1 Georgia (4-1) (College Station)

2001 - (7th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat St. Bonaventure (4-0); Beat Vanderbilt (4-0)

Won in Round of 16 against #15 LSU (4-1) (Georgia)

Lost in Elite Eight to #4 TCU (4-0) (Georgia)

2000 - (7th seed) Host 1st and 2nd rounds: Beat Army (4-0); Beat Louisiana-Lafayette (4-0)

Lost in Round of 16 against #9 Tennessee (4-3) (Georgia)

1999 - Beat Texas Tech (4-3); lost to host #4 Texas (4-1)

**NCAA expanded to current 64-team team in 1999.

1998 - At Austin: Beat Arkansas-Little Rock (4-0); beat Arkansas (4-3)

Lost to SMU (4-3) in regional championship

1997 - At Fort Worth: Lost to Texas (5-0)

1996 - At Austin: Beat Texas Tech (4-3); lost to host Texas (4-3)

1995 - Hosted: Beat Arkansas (4-1); lost to Texas (4-3)

1994 - At Houston: Beat Texas Tech (4-0); beat Arkansas (4-3)

Advanced to Round of 16 and lost to Duke (4-1) (Notre Dame)

1985 - Lost in Round of 16 to Pepperdine (5-3)

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