2026 Kickoff Weekend
Participant Guide

Important Dates

Monday, January 5 Master Lineup Submission Form Opens

Entry Fee Payment Form Opens

Player Waiver Form Opens

Friday, January 16            Entry Fee Payment Deadline (11:59 pm local) 

   Team Waiver Submission Deadline

Monday, January 19         Master Lineups Due (1:00 pm EST)

                      Master Lineups Emailed to Coaches for Review (5:00 pm EST)

Tuesday, January 20     Lineup Protests Due (12:00 pm EST)

Coaches Notified of Protests (1:00 pm EST)

Lineup Defenses Due (9;00 pm EST)

Wednesday, January 21 NTC Conference Calls to Review Protested Lineups 

   Final Master Lineups Released (5:00 pm EST)

Schedule

For dual-gender sites that require play to start on Friday, January 23, the men will play first. For dual-gender sites with fewer than six courts, the men play Friday-Saturday, and the women play Sunday-Monday.

Host Hotel

Host Site is required to designate an official hotel(s) with discounted rates located within 15 miles of site where matches are played.  This should be completed and communicated to participating teams by January 1, 2026.

Participant Gifts

The ITA will provide each team up to 10 event t-shirts for participating players that will be distributed by the host site.  

Please note: Host Site is responsible for all other costs associated with hosting the 4 matches (trainers, officials, additional balls, promotions, etc.).

Team Entry Fees

A $200 team entry fee is required to participate in the ITA Kickoff Weekend, even if you are hosting the event.  All entry fees must be paid online by credit card (payment by check will no longer be accepted).  Entry fees must be paid by Friday, January 16.  An administrative late fee of $50 will be charged for any payments received after the due date. Schools will receive a confirmation email from Stripe including a receipt once payment has been made. If you do not receive the receipt, please request one through your divisional contact (Cody Johnson- Men; Liz Bothwell Molino- Women)

Team Waivers

Each team must submit to the ITA office (cody.johnson@itatennis.com for DI Men and lbothwell@itatennis.com for DI Women) a digital ITA Waiver completed and signed by all players and coaches prior to participating in the event. The waiver can also be found on Coaches Resources and must be completed by Friday, January 16. 

Lineup Submissions

Master lineups (players listed in order of ability) must be submitted online by Monday, January 19, at 1:00 PM EST.  There is a $100 fine for late lineup submissions.  The online link will be made available beginning Monday, January 5th.  In order to compete, a player must be listed on the master lineup. There is no limit to the number of players that may be submitted on a lineup. 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 coaches meeting (prior to the start of the event) if that player is deemed ineligible at the time (adopted May, 2013 Division I Operating Committee).  Once compiled, lineups will then be emailed to all participating coaches for review no later than 5:00 PM EST on Monday, January 19.  

Protest Procedures

Lineup protests must be emailed to the ITA office (cody.johnson@itatennis.com for DI Men and lbothwell@itatennis.com for DI Women) by Tuesday, January 20, at 12:00 PM EST. 

The ITA will contact coaches whose lineups have been protested to allow them to defend their lineup submission in writing to the National Tournament Committee (NTC).  All lineup explanations must be sent to cody.johnson@itatennis.com for DI Men and lbothwell@itatennis.com for DI Women by 9:00 PM EST on Tuesday, January 20.  The NTC will review all protests on Wednesday, January 21.
The NTC has final ruling on all lineup changes and therefore NO appeals will be accepted. (approved Dec. 2009, Division I Operating Committee). 

Games Committee

An on-site Games Committee consisting of the 4 participating coaches and Head Referee will be expected to resolve any issues that occur during the event that require immediate attention. All parties must be involved in these decisions and ITA Rules shall apply unless otherwise noted.

Officials

Host Site agrees to provide a head referee and to provide the head referee’s name and contact information to the ITA office by December 19, 2025.  The ITA office will hold a conference call with all Kickoff Weekend head referees in mid-January to go over event procedures, discuss new and revised rules, and answer any questions.  The host site also agrees to chair every match (singles and doubles) in all 4 team dual matches. All doubles matches must utilize a far sideline official (OpCom - December 2017). The head referee cannot be a chair umpire.  All officials and referees must be ITA-certified.  An official or referee cannot be an employee of the host institution.

Tennis Ball Change

The ball change per ITA rule is 1 can per set in singles and doubles.  Dunlop Grand Prix Extra Duty Tennis Balls must be used for both the men and women.  The ITA will provide 1 case of tennis balls per host team.  

Please note, the host site is responsible for all other costs associated with hosting the 4 matches (trainers, officials, additional balls, promotions, etc.).

Practice Courts

Practice courts must be available the day prior to the event.  All teams will have a minimum of 3 courts for 90 minutes, to be organized by the host site.  All host sites must contact the participating schools to schedule practice times.  Practice times should be set no later than 48 hours before each team’s arrival.  Host sites should make their best effort to construct a practice schedule that takes into consideration the next day’s matches (e.g. no late evening practice times for teams with early morning matches unless unavoidable). 

Coaches Meeting

Host sites must arrange for an onsite or virtual coaches meeting consisting of the Head Referee and all 4 participating coaches on the day prior to the start of the event. This meeting cannot take place until after lineup protests are reviewed and lineups are finalized. The ITA office will provide host sites with an agenda to help guide their meeting. 

Match Warm-Up

Each team participating in the second match of the day will be permitted to warm-up on a minimum of 1 ½ courts during the doubles of the

previous match, with a guaranteed 30 minutes of warm-up prior to the match.  For sites with fewer than 6 courts, teams participating in the second match of the day will split the court space not being used for doubles play during the doubles of the previous match. For dual gender sites, warm-up courts for all teams playing on day 2 can be scheduled at an alternate site with a similar court surface, if needed.

If there are singles players not playing doubles, they will receive priority to warm up during the doubles point. This may reduce teams in the second match of the day to fewer than 1.5 courts during the doubles point.

Game Day Operations

For any game day operations not specified above, host sites may default to their regular game day procedures.  Host sites should inform participating schools of these procedures in advance of the first match day, preferably through the use of a host site event guide and/or at the coaches meeting.

Media/Communications

Results from all matches will be posted on the ITA Kickoff Weekend event page on the ITA website.  Please be sure to inform your SID to send any live scoring and/or video links to Zach Pohlmann, ITA Director of Marketing and Communications (zpohlmann@itatennis.com). The official event hashtag is #ITAKickOff, and be sure to follow the ITA Twitter and Instagram accounts @ITA_Tennis for coverage during Kickoff Weekend. Should your team advance to the National Team Indoor Championship, please use the #ITAIndoors hashtag to promote the accomplishment.

Ticket Punched Signage

All host sites will be provided with a “Ticket Punched” cutout for the winning team to take pictures with. Providing this signage is an expense for the ITA,,, so please be sure to use it for photos & social media coverage. 

Lineup Changes & Substitutions
Note: There are different policies for Men's and Women's events.

Men’s Substitution Policy: The approved lineup must be used throughout the duration of the Kickoff Weekend and no substitutions will be permitted.  Direct line substitutions may be made to the doubles lineup, but the doubles lineup must still be played in order of ability.  And in this case, the Games Committee will be responsible to make final rulings to lineup protests made on-site.  All protests to lineup changes must be made pre-match. Lineup protests will not be accepted following the completion of a match.

Direct Line Substitution Clarification (pg. 6 of the 2025-26 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 lineup.  Once the new player has been inserted, per above, the teams may be reordered to reflect strength.  The lineup must remain in order of ability; therefore, the coach shall order the teams to reflect the substitutions.  Removal of two players from a doubles team in a doubles lineup (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 #4 team listed, that team would forfeit the #3 position.

Women’s Substitution Policy: The approved lineup must be used for the first day of dual matches.  A player and/or doubles team can move a maximum of one position (up or down) on day 2.  Doubles teams must remain intact.  Direct line substitutions may be made to the doubles lineup, but the doubles lineup must still be played in order of ability.  The Games Committee will be responsible to make final rulings to lineup protests made on-site.  All protests to lineup changes must be made pre-match. Lineup protests will not be accepted following the completion of a match.

Direct Line Substitution Clarification (pg. 6 of the 2025-26 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 lineup.  Once the new player has been inserted, per above, the teams may be reordered to reflect strength.  The lineup must remain in order of ability; therefore, the coach shall order the teams to reflect the substitutions.  Removal of two players from a doubles team in a doubles lineup (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 #4 team listed, that team would forfeit the #3 position.

Teams with 6 or fewer players: (Pg. 6-7 of the 2025-2026 ITA Rulebook): If a team has six or fewer healthy players and a player in the doubles lineup is injured/sick prior to the start of the match, the coach may take a player from another doubles team to join the healthy player. One of the healthy doubles teams must stay intact. The teams must still play in order of ability and will default at the No. 3 position.

Match Rules and Procedures

Featured Courts

 If an outdoor facility contains “featured courts,” the championship match must be played on featured courts regardless of whether or not the host institution is competing.

Completing Matches

"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.

Allowable Areas

Host sites will designate allowable areas for non-playing players and team personnel that is separate from the fans (e.g. on the outside of end courts). Please review ITA Rule I.O.2 on page 31-32 of the 2025-2026 ITA Rulebook, as well as the diagrams and notes on page 86-91 for help determining appropriate allowable areas for your facility.

Inclement Weather Procedures

Host sites without institutionally owned/operated/managed indoor facilities were allowed to apply to host as an outdoor site. If these sites have public or privately owned indoor facilities within a 60-mile radius of their campus that meet ITA guidelines for indoor facilities, they were encouraged to secure those facilities as indoor backup prior to submitting their host site application. A waiver request was required of a prospective host site if any of the following conditions applied:

• Outdoor sites that choose not to submit an indoor backup facility or are without a suitable indoor option within a 60 mile radius.

• Prospective host sites that would like to utilize an indoor facility that is more than 60 miles from their campus as their primary or backup site

• Prospective host sites that would like to utilize an indoor facility that does not meet one or more ITA guidelines for indoor facilities.

Those waivers were reviewed and ultimately approved/denied by the ITA Championships Subcommittee.

The on-site Games Committee will be expected to convene and make decisions in accordance with ITA rules in the event of inclement weather.  Sites that have received a waiver to play without indoor backup are required to have access to 12 outdoor courts in the event of inclement weather. Monday, January 26 is a mandatory make-up day for outdoor sites without indoor backup (including the “consolation” match).  Tuesday, January 27, is a mandatory make-up day for outdoor sites without indoor backup originally slated to conclude on Monday. 

For sites with an approved waiver to play without indoor backup: Teams will still be required to make every effort to complete all matches outdoors, including but not limited to using the rain makeup day, having additional facilities/operations staff on-hand to aid in the drying of courts, and be prepared to secure and travel to additional outdoor backup within 150 miles.

For sites with an approved waiver to play with indoor backup more than 60 miles from their primary site: Hosts are expected to make decisions as though the indoor backup is on-site; however, the decision to move indoors may be made more than 90 minutes before the start of the match to account for additional travel time. If there is inclement weather in the forecast, matches should be moved indoors, not delayed to the following day in an effort to play outdoors.

(Pg. 16 of the 2025-26 ITA Rulebook): The decision to move indoors shall be made up to 90 minutes before the start of the match if the weather conditions are forecasted not to improve.  Coaches may agree to set an alternate time to make this decision – this information shall be communicated with the head referee as soon as possible.

Policy if an Event Cannot be Completed

If inclement weather, facility failure, pandemic, or other Act of God does not allow for the championship match to begin by 9 pm local time on Monday, January 26 (9 pm local time on Tuesday, January 27 for sites originally slated to finish on Monday), the ITA Championships Subcommittee will review on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the host site met the conditions of their waiver approval and made every effort to complete the matches. The ITA Championships Subcommittee reserves the right to reschedule the championship match or award the spot at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships to the next highest-seeded team remaining from that Region if it’s determined that those conditions were not met. (ITA Championships Subcommittee, May 2024)

Penalty for Electing Not to Play a Second Match

If a team elects NOT to play their second scheduled match, it will receive a loss,, and its opponent will receive a win in the ITA Rankings.

Requests for Changes to the Schedule

Teams will not be permitted to request time changes due to their scheduled arrival or departure. The schedule of play that is posted on the ITA website during the draft is the schedule that must be played. Only in cases where inclement weather has affected play or if all 4 participating coaches agree, can a change be made to the schedule of play. 

ITA Format

The following format will be used for all men’s and women’s matches during the ITA Kickoff Weekend:

• No-ad scoring in singles and doubles.

• Three doubles matches played, each match one set to 6, with a tie-break at 6 games all.

• Followed (after a 5-minute intermission) by six singles matches, each match 2 out of 3 sets, with tie-breaks in each set at 6 games all.

• No warm-up with opponents (in doubles and singles).