The 2025 DI Women's National Team Indoor Championships is hosted by the University of Illinois and Northwestern University at two sites:

The semifinals and finals will be played at Northwestern University.

Monday, January 27, 2025:
Committee to split teams between sites

Wednesday, January 29:
Travel information form due (1:00 pm ET)

Monday, February 3:
Line-up submissions due (noon ET)
Waivers due (noon ET)
Line-ups emailed to coaches for review (1:00 pm ET)
Line-up protests due (9:00 pm ET)
Committee to seed tournament

Tuesday, February 4:
Line-up defenses due (9:00 am ET)
Protest conference call
Approved lineups released

Thursday, February 6:
Mandatory virtual coaches meeting (7:30 pm ET)
Team pass lists due        

FLIGHTS

Departure should be scheduled for Wednesday, February 12. The ITA is unable to change the tournament schedule based on departure times.

Chicago O'Hare (ORD): Approximately 35 minutes from Northwestern; 2 hours 20 minutes from the University of Illinois

Chicago Midway (MDW): Approximately 46 minutes from Northwestern; 2 hours 14 minutes from the University of Illinois

University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI): Approximately 2 hours 40 minutes from Northwestern; 15 minutes from the University of Illinois

Indianapolis International Airport (IND): Approximately 3 hours 30 minutes from Northwestern;1 hour 45 minutes from the University of Illinois

Hotels: All programs are responsible for their own hotel expenses and are not required to book at the below properties. The following hotels have a discounted tournament rate.

HOTELS

All programs are responsible for their own hotel expenses and are not required to book at the below properties. The following hotels have a discounted tournament rate.

GROUND TRANSPORTATION & PARKING- ILLINOIS

All teams are responsible for their own transportation. If your team is bringing a bus, please specify this on your Travel Information Form so proper parking arrangements can be made at the facilities.

At Illinois,  team and spectator parking is located to the east of the tennis complex. Teams do not need parking passes.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY

PRACTICE COURTS- Wednesday, February 5

llinois has court time available on Wednesday night for those teams playing at Illinois. Beginning 1/30 at 11:00 am ET, you can email your request to Meaghan Naas, Director of Operations- menaas@illinois.edu. Time slots are available from 5:30 pm until 9:30 pm, and each team will receive three courts for one hour each (5:30-6:30 pm, 6:30- 7:30 pm, 7:30-8:30 pm, and 8:30-9:30 pm)

Northwestern will provide practice times for all teams competing in the tournament from 10 am to 10 pm and will prioritize teams competing at the University of Illinois in the earlier time blocks.

Please reach out to Jen Lutgert (j-lutgert@northwestern.edu) to secure court space for practice on Wednesday. Each team will receive 90-minute time slots. Please have practice requests in by Friday, January 31st. 

PRACTICE COURTS- Thursday, February 6

Thursday practice times will be preassigned by ITA staff with arrival time, first-round match time, and first-round site taken into consideration. You will be informed of your official practice time as soon as the bracket is released. Each team will receive three (3) courts for two (2) hours on Thursday. The practice times will be 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM with no additional time slots granted.

WAIVERS

All players and coaches must submit a waiver by Monday, February 3rd at 12:00 pm ET. 

MANDATORY COACHES' MEETING

The mandatory ITA coaches meeting will be held on virtually on Thursday, February 6 at 6:30 PM CT/7:30 PM ET. A minimum of one coach from each program must attend.

STRINGING

Racquet stringing will be available at both sites. When dropping off, please provide the school name, the player's last name, the string to be used, and the tension. 

For strining at Illinois, cost is $25 per racquet + cost of string (unless provided). Coaches are required to pay cash or Venmo. Racquets can be dropped off at the front desk in the lobby/pro shop area. Shaan Kashyup (309-648-2054) is the stringer.

For stringing at Northwestern, cost is $25 per racquet + cost of string (unless provided). Racquets can be dropped off and picked up at the outdoor tennis courts (2169 Sheridan Rd Evanston, IL 60208). Bob Maruoka (773-616-0505) is the stringer. Coaches are required to pay cash, venmo, or check.

PLAYER HOSPITALITY

Light snacks and drinks will be provided at both sites. 

At Illinois, hospitality will be located in the lobby area.

At Northwestern, hospitality will be located in the NU Team Lounge Room located behind courts four and five.

LOCKER ROOM ACCESS

Locker rooms will be available at the University of Illinois and at Northwestern University.

At Illinois, locker rooms will be located on the west side of the building behind courts 3 and 4 (downstairs). Towels will be provided.

At Northwestern, locker rooms will be located in Walter Athletics Center (2 min walk from tennis courts) and the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion locker rooms for additional showers (open to public/members). Please ask your visiting team liaison for access. Towels will be provided.

LIVE-SCORING & LIVE STREAMING

Live scoring will be provided by iOnCourt and can be accessed through the iOnCourt app or through the ITA event page.

At Illinois, matches will be livestreamed through CrackedRacquets and PlaySight.

At Northwestern, matches will be livestreamed through CrackedRacquets and PlaySight.

MEDIA & INTERVIEWS

ITA Staff and Cracked Racquets will request brief interviews and media coverage throughout the event, including Thursday practice and post-match with specific coaches and players. Programs must make themselves available for these requests. Teams who qualify for the semifinals can expect more detailed interviews and content-asks on Sunday afternoon & Monday morning.

TICKETS & CREDENTIALS

Tickets for Illinois can be purchased for $10 per day or $25 for the whole tournament (click here).

Tickets for Northwestern can be purchased $10 per day or $35 for the whole tournament (click here).

Players, coaches, and team staff will be provided credentials. 

If you would like to reserve and pay for additional tickets using a pass list please click here.

ATHLETIC TRAINING & EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Athletic trainers will be on-site one hour prior to the first match until one hour after the conclusion of play each day. Any specific athletic training equipment needs should be communicated to staff ahead of the event.

The following equipment will be available during practices and competition: Taping and treatment table, ice and ice bags, hot packs, biohazard supplies, emergency equipment including AED, crutches, splints, etc.

A trainer will be on-site Thursday during the practice day for any teams that are not traveling with their own trainer.

At Northwestern, the trainer will be located adjacent to court one in the loading dock area.

At the University of Illinois, the closest hospital is:

Carle Foundation Hospital
611 W Park St, Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 383-3311

At Northwestern University, the closest hospital is:

NorthShore Hospital Evanston
2650 Ridge Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 570-2000- General Phone
(847) 570-2111- Emergency Room

ITA ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM & MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER

The ITA All-Tournament Team will consist only of players from teams that advance to the quarterfinals or further. Players will be selected based on their W-L record during the course of the tournament and their team's success during the event will also be factored in. In the event that a specific position does not have any players with enough completed matches, then selections may be based on players whose teams have won at least two matches in the "back draw". The most outstanding player will also be selected from the All-Tournament Team. A ballot will be emailed by ITA staff after the Championship match is played. The ballot will be sent to the 16 participating coaches to vote on. The ITA All-Tournament Team and Most Outstanding Player Award will be determined and announced after the Championship.

LINEUP SUBMISSIONS AND PROTESTS

• Master lineups must be submitted by Monday, February 3rd at Noon ET. A maximum of 10 players can be listed on the master lineup and up to 9 players may participate in the tournament. The final 9 players will be announced at the coaches' meeting. Once all lineups are received, they are compiled and emailed to the participating coaches for review (at approximately 1:00 PM ET, on Monday, February 3rd).  A team that is found to have submitted an illegal lineup will be assessed a $300 fine by the ITA (adopted May, 2015, ITA Operating Committee).

• Ineligible players - it is permitted for an ineligible player to be initially submitted on the master lineup with the understanding that this player will be removed no later than the ITA Coaches Meeting (prior to the start of the event) if she is deemed ineligible at that time. (adopted May, 2013, ITA Operating Committee).

• Protests: All lineup protests must be emailed to lbothwell@itatennis.com no later than 9:00 PM ET on Monday, February 3rd.  Please include a detailed reasoning for your protest and supply as much supporting data as possible. One or two-sentence protests without supporting data will not be accepted. Coaches who have their lineups protested will be contacted and asked to defend their lineup in writing by 9:00 AM ET on Tuesday, February 4th.  A conference call will be held with the ITA National Tournament Committee (excluding Region Chairs with teams participating in the event) to review and make a final ruling on all protests on Tuesday, February 4th. There is NO appeal process for decisions made by the National Tournament Committee. The approved lineups will be emailed to all participating coaches at the conclusion of the call.

• Lineup Confirmation Process: If a player from the top-3 doubles teams is scratched during the lineup confirmation process (at the coaches meeting), the coach must immediately re-establish their top-3 doubles teams with a player from outside of their top-3. If a player is scratched from the #4 doubles team or substituted from their #4 team into their top-3, the coach must immediately re-establish their #4 team to avoid potentially defaulting their #3 doubles spot. Any changes to the top-4 doubles pairings during the lineup confirmation process will be considered a new doubles lineup and will be subject to protest by the other teams on the basis of order-of-strength.

LINEUP SUBSTITUTION POLICY AND RULES

1. A maximum of 10 players can be submitted on the master lineup and up to 9 will be eligible to participate in the tournament. The final 9 will be announced at the coaches' meeting.

2. All teams must play their master lineup in two out of the first three matches of the Championship.
   a. A singles player and/or doubles team may move one position up or down, but not both, from the master lineup.
   Example: Your #3 player can also play #2 or #4, but not both.
   b. Multiple one-position moves are allowed.
   Example: #5 moves to #6, and #2 moves to #3. (Adopted May 2015, ITA Operating Committee).
   c. Once the match begins, if the lineup is changed due to injury, default, or if the doubles is changed because the match has been decided, the master lineup will still be considered played.
   d. A submitted lineup will not be considered the master line-up if it was not originally the master lineup but became that in the course of the match.
   e. A submitted lineup qualifies as the master lineup as long as the players remain in rank order relative to the original master lineup. For example, if the #3 singles player is held out of play, and everyone moves up, the lineup would be considered the master lineup.

3. Direct line substitutions may be made to the doubles lineup, but the doubles lineup must still be played in order of ability. The opposing coach may protest a doubles lineup if he/she feels they are not in order prior to the start of the match. A direct line substitution is not considered a change to the master lineup.
   Direct Line Substitution Clarification (pg. 6-7 of the 2024-25 ITA Rulebook): A direct line substitution is the removal of one of the two players on a doubles team. That player is replaced by a player not in the top three positions of the doubles line-up. The player being substituted into the match must be listed on the lineup sheet exchanged prior to the start of the match, either in singles or doubles. Once the new player has been inserted, per above, the teams must be reordered to reflect strength. The line-up must remain in order of ability, so therefore the coach shall order the teams to reflect the substitutions. Removal of two players from a doubles team in a doubles line-up (regardless of timing) does not allow for a direct line substitution. Instead, that team would be removed and the teams listed below it would move up (much like when a singles player is removed). If there is no No. 4 team listed, that team would default the No. 3 position. 

4. Teams competing in the championship match are allowed to make changes to their master lineup using the one-position move rule (adopted May, 2015, ITA Operating Committee). However, any change must be consistent with rule #2 above.

5. The on-site ITA Games Committee will have final ruling on all on-site protests.

6. Although rotating players is allowed, normal ITA lineup rules still apply: ITA Rule II.H.2: "In singles, players must compete in order of ability, the best player on the team playing at the No. 1 position, the second best at the No. 2 and so on through all positions. This rule shall also apply to doubles play with the strongest doubles team at No. 1, etc."

THE DRAW AND SEEDING

• Teams will be divided between the two host sites on Monday, January 27th.

• The eight teams at each site will be seeded by the National Tournament Committee on Tuesday, February 4th, taking into account the matches from the previous weekend.

• Consolation matches will be played straight back.

• Once finalized, the draw will be published on the ITA website and coaches will be notified. 

FORMAT

• "Clinch-Clinch" will be used: Doubles play will be stopped once the doubles point is won, and singles play will be stopped once the team match is clinched.

• Three doubles matches are played first. Each match is one set to 6, with a tiebreak at 6-all, and with no-ad scoring. A team must win two of the doubles matches to win the doubles point.

• Six singles matches will follow the doubles after a 5-minute intermission. Each match is two out of three sets, with a tiebreak at 6-all, and each set uses no-ad scoring.

• There will be no warm-up against opponents before the first point is played in doubles and singles; players will be expected to warm-up with their own team prior to the scheduled match time.

PLAYREPLAY ELECTRONIC LINE CALLING 

The ITA will utilize PlayReplay throughout the duration of the event for electronic line calling.

TEAM WARM-UP

Each team will have a chance to warm up on 1 1/2 courts during doubles in the match prior to theirs. Singles players not competing in doubles of the ongoing match will have priority. As court space frees up in the match prior, teams will be able to hit on open courts so long as there is one (1) court separating the warm-up from the match in progress. Teams will be expected to share courts when necessary. The length of a warm-up will be a minimum of 15 minutes on 6 courts (adopted May 2012, ITA Operating Committee).

BALLS & BALL CHANGE

Dunlop Grand Prix Extra Duty balls will be used. The ball change is one can (3 balls) per set in singles and 1 can (3 balls) per set in doubles. Teams are responsible for their own practice balls.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY

ITA Rule I.F.10 Teams Withdrawing (pg. 11, 2024-25 ITA Rulebook). In a dual match, a team with at least four physically able players and one institutional representative (e.g. head coach, assistant coach, volunteer coach, school administrator) shall not cancel or postpone a match due to ill or injured players, unless both coaches agree. Doing so without mutual agreement will result in a team default for ITA Ranking purposes.

1. If a team does not have four physically able players and one institutional representative, documentation from that team’s medical staff and/or administration must be provided stating why the minimum requirement cannot be met in order to avoid a team default for ITA ranking purposes.

ITA Rule I.F.11 Failing to play after a dual team tournament has started (pg. 11, 2024-25 ITA Rulebook). Once a team tournament has started, if a team has four physically able players and one institutional representative (e.g. head coach, assistant coach, volunteer coach, school administrator), failure to play a team match shall result in a team default. This loss and any subsequent consolation match losses shall count as ranking losses. 

1. If a team does not have four physically able players, documentation from that team’s medical staff and/or administration must be provided stating why the minimum requirement cannot be met in order to avoid a team default for ITA ranking purposes.

For the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, the team withdrawing will be penalized with three defaults for ITA Ranking purposes (adopted May 2012, ITA Operating Committee).  If a team leaves before the completion of its final match, it will receive an unranked loss for ITA ranking purposes (adopted May 2011, ITA Operating Committee).

ALLOWABLE AREAS

• The allowable areas are above marked with white "X" marks for both facilities. Student-athletes & support staff must be in the allowable areas for the beginning of both segments (doubles & singles)  & should not be in the spectator viewing areas during their teams' dual match under any circumstances. 

• Once a court finishes on the bank of 3 courts, players MUST move to that open court or go to an allowable area on the other bank of 3 courts. Once a court finishes on both banks of 3, players will only be allowed on open courts & no longer allowed in the red allowable areas. 

• Ample chairs will be provided for all of these allowable areas so both teams can view from the same allowable area. 

• Players will be permitted to move from one allowable area to another during a changeover of the match they are seated nearest to. 

• Players in the allowable area(s) may NOT change sides with their competing teammate and instead must stay on one side of the officials' chair. Teams will be instructed to use one side of the allowable areas & player benches throughout the dual match for consistency. The highest seed will be on the interior allowable areas(s) & benches while the lowest seed will be on the exterior allowable area(s) & benches. 

• Players in the allowable area(s) may NOT stand up or step out onto the playing surface unless they are leaving the allowable area during a changeover. 

• Players will only be permitted to enter a new allowable area when the nearest court is on a changeover. 

• Players will not be permitted to cheer while they are moving from one allowable area to another. 

• Players in the allowable area(s) may be issued a warning from official(s) if they get out of their seat for any other reason than stated above. 

• Singles players not competing in the doubles segment will still be allowed to warm up on open courts if they want. 

• The number of players in the allowable area may NOT exceed the number of chairs in the allowable area. 

ITA STAFF CONTACTS

PRIMARY EVENT CONTACT: Liz Bothwell, Manager of Division I Women's Tennis- lbothwell@itatennis.com

Zach Pohlmann, Director of Marketing, Communications & Advanced Media- zpohlmann@itatennis.com 

Cody Johnson, Director of Division I Men's Tennis- cody.johnson@itatennis.com

Jordan Smith, Videographer & Social Media Manager- jsmith@itatennis.com 

Andrew Rogers, Head Referee

Anthony Montero, Head Referee & ITA Director of Officiating

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CONTACTS

Randy Ballard, Director of Sports Medicine- ballardr@illinois.edu

Anne Danbury, Athletic Trainer- schafsm2@illinois.edu ; 603-381-1328

Sadie Potvin, Event Coordinator- spotvin2@illinois.edu ; 217-333-3652

Meaghan Naas, Director of Operations- menaas@illinois.edu ; 217-333-2829

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY CONTACTS

Jillian Rubin, Associate Athletic Trainer- jillian.rubin@nm.org 

TC Hager, Assistant Director of Events & Facilities- tc.hager@northwestern.edu ; 815-751-8740

Ryan Thomas, Assistant Director of Events & Facilities- ryan.thomas@northwestern.edu ; 217-737-5974

Ellyse Hamlin, Assistant Coach Women's Tennis- ellyse.hamlin@northwestern.edu ; 203-400-9495