Virginia Beach, VA - The Regent University Athletic Department has announced the addition of Men's and Women's Tennis, expanding the Royals' athletic offerings to 16 varsity sports. Both programs are scheduled to begin competition during the 2027-2028 academic year, marking another significant milestone in the continued growth and development of Regent Athletics.
The addition of tennis represents Regent University's ongoing commitment to providing student-athletes with opportunities to compete at the collegiate level while pursuing academic excellence and growing in their Christian faith. As the department's 15th and 16th varsity sports, men's and women's tennis will further strengthen the Royals' presence in NCAA Division III athletics.
"We are extremely excited to announce the addition of Men's and Women's Tennis as official varsity sports to Regent University for the 2027-2028 academic year. We established a few years ago in our strategic growth plan, we wanted to add sports that would help position our university to grow, offer more diverse opportunities for prospective student-athletes, and further position ourselves to be credible members with our Coast-to-Coast counterparts," said Executive Athletic Director Michael W. Allen. "The Hampton Roads area has a strong history of producing quality tennis talent and thus adding it here at Regent made sense. With our university going all-in on our athletic facilities, these tennis programs will have brand new NCAA-quality on-campus courts from day one. So, I am excited to see what God is going to do with a program that should be set up for success from its inception by having the necessary resources to build quality programs."
A major component of the new programs will be the addition of brand-new, NCAA-quality tennis courts on Regent University's campus. The facilities will provide both teams with a home for practices and competition while demonstrating the University's commitment to investing in the long-term success of its athletic programs.
With the announcement, Regent will immediately begin a search for a head coach to lead the development of the men's and women's tennis programs. The selected coach will play an instrumental role in recruiting student-athletes, establishing the programs' competitive foundations, and preparing both teams for their inaugural seasons.
The decision to add tennis also reflects Regent's commitment to expanding its athletic footprint throughout the Hampton Roads region. With a strong tradition of high school and junior tennis talent in the area, the Royals will have an opportunity to recruit locally while also attracting prospective student-athletes from across the country who are seeking a competitive collegiate athletic experience rooted in Christian values.
