URBANA, Ill. – The Illinois men's tennis team received the No. 8 seed in the 2018 NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament and will host the NCAA First and Second Rounds at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex on May 12 and 13. Illinois will take on Marquette in the opening round at 3 pm on Saturday, May 12.

2018 marks the 18^th time the Illini will host the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Illinois is 29-4 when playing at home during the NCAA Tournament and last hosted the event in 2016.

Illinois in the NCAA Tournament  

• 2018 marks the 23^rd appearance for the Fighting Illini in the NCAA Championships. The Illini boast a record of 46-21 in NCAA Tournament play, highlighted by a 2003 NCAA National Championship.
• The Orange and Blue have appeared in 23-straight NCAA Tournaments, a streak that began in 1996.
• Entering 2018, Illinois has hosted the NCAA First and Second Rounds 17 times with a record of 29-4 when competing in NCAA Tournament play at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex.
• The Illini are 19-3 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and have not lost in the opening round since 1998.
• In 2017, UI went 2-1 in NCAA play. Illinois traveled to Stillwater, Oklahoma, for the NCAA Stillwater Regional. The Illini opened play with a sweep of Drake, followed by upsetting host-school, Oklahoma State, in a 4-3 thriller. Illinois's run was ended by TCU, 4-1, at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia.
• Illinois has won one NCAA Team Championship in 2003 after defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores, 4-3, in Athens, Georgia. The 2003 completed the highly-coveted NCAA "Triple Crown" by winning the team championship, as well as the singles and doubles individual championships.

The Championships Site

Wake Forest will host the 2018 NCAA Team Championship as the Top 16 men's and women's tennis teams will begin play on Thursday, May 17, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Hosted at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex, play in the women's round of 16 will commence on Thursday, May 17, and play in the men's round of 16 will begin on Friday, May 18.

Quick Glance at the NCAA First and Second Rounds

• Illinois's first-round opponent, Marquette, claimed its first-ever BIG EAST title this season. The Golden Eagles enter the NCAA Tournament with a 17-6 overall record. Illinois and Marquette have never met in program history.
• Vanderbilt boasts an 18-8 overall record and 7-5 mark in SEC play during 2018. The Illini and Commodores have met four times during NCAA Tournament play, including when Illinois defeated Vanderbilt, 4-3 in the 2003 NCAA Championship match. Overall, Illinois is 4-1 all-time against Vanderbilt.
• Drake enters the NCAA Tournament with a 19-13 overall record. The Summit League Champions met the Illini in the 2017 NCAA First Round, where the Orange and Blue swept the Bulldogs.

Schedule of Events

Match 1 – Vanderbilt vs. Drake - Saturday, May 12, 12 pm  

Match 2 – Illinois vs. Marquette - Saturday, May 12, 3 pm

Match 3 – Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner – Sunday, May 13, 2 pm

Ticket Information

Adults: $5.00

Student: $3.00

Tickets for the NCAA First and Second Rounds can be purchased at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex starting one hour prior to the first match each day. One ticket is valid for one admission to all matches on the day the ticket is purchased.

Parking Information

Spectator parking is available east of the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex off of Goodwin Avenue. Spectators can enter the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex from this lot.

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