SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Illinois State men's tennis team has earned a spot in the 2026 Summit League Men's Tennis Championship, which takes place at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center from April 24-25, hosted by the University of Tulsa. The four-team field featuring top-seeded Denver, No. 2 North Dakota, No. 3 Oral Roberts and No. 4 Illinois State will compete for the championship crown and the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Denver (16-5, 5-0 SL) earned the No. 1 seed after claiming its 11th Summit League regular season title, continuing its dominance with an 11th undefeated conference season since joining the league. The Pioneers sealed the regular season crown with a 6-1 road victory over Drake on April 17, officially clinching the No. 1 seed.
The No. 4 seeded Redbirds (9-13, 2-3 SL) will take on the top-seeded Pioneers in Friday's first men's semifinal at 3 p.m. CT. No. 2 North Dakota (14-9, 3-2 SL) will follow against No. 3 Oral Roberts (10-15, 2-3 SL) in the second semifinal at 6 p.m. CT. Oral Roberts secured the No. 3 seed over Illinois State with a 4-3 victory over the Redbirds on April 8. The Redbirds earned their spot in the championship, thanks to their 5-2 win over Omaha on April 15.
The winners of each semifinal will advance to the championship match on Saturday, April 25, at 1 p.m. CT, where the tournament champion will secure the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Fans can catch all the action live, with individual court streams available on Track.Tennis. All Summit League Men's and Women's Tennis Championship matches will be available free of charge. Schedules and locations are subject to change in the case of inclement weather.
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