OREANDA-NEWS. The ITA is delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Oracle, in which Oracle will serve as the title sponsor for three major programs as part of the Oracle Collegiate Tennis Tour, administered by the ITA.

This special sponsorship agreement is highlighted by the inaugural Oracle/ITA Masters, hosted by Malibu Racquet Club from Sept. 18-20, 2015. The Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings and Oracle/ITA Outing & Awards Luncheon are also integral parts of the Oracle Collegiate Tennis Tour.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the Oracle Collegiate Tennis Tour and to be supporting these rising tennis stars,” said Oracle CEO Mark Hurd. “This program is just one of the many ways Oracle is supporting college students and universities nationwide. Our partnership with the ITA gives us another opportunity to invest in college students who are key to Oracle’s future.”

“Partnering with Oracle, given its extraordinary resources and worldwide recognition, will be transformative for the ITA and college tennis in general,” executive director David A Benjamin said. “Oracle already has a major presence in the tennis world and we are thrilled with its growing commitment to the college game.”

The top returning collegiate tennis stars will now have the opportunity to earn a trip to scenic Malibu with the addition of the Oracle/ITA Masters to the fall calendar. The tournament will feature 16 elite men’s and women’s singles players, along with eight of the most outstanding men’s and women’s doubles teams, with consolation action for each of the four events. Selections will be primarily based on the year-end Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings, with the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate singles and doubles champions and NCAA singles and doubles champions also earning automatic bids if they are returning to school in the fall.

Trey Waltke, General Manager of the Malibu Racquet Club and former standout for California men’s tennis, knows the quality of elite college tennis, but has an even deeper appreciation for the passion exhibited by the student-athletes.

“I’m most excited about people seeing great college tennis,” Waltke said. “College tennis is the best example in all of tennis of the competitive spirit, even more so than the pros. It’s fierce, and we’d like to showcase that at our club. It will be so beneficial to have the energy of college tennis players at the club. We’ve been looking for a vehicle like this for some time now. It’s infectious to watch great tennis.”

The Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings will track the top men's and women's teams, singles and doubles players in NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA, Junior Colleges and California Junior Colleges. In addition, the ITA will be distributing attractive Oracle/ITA ranking certificates to all teams and individuals who achieve a final national ranking.

The Oracle/ITA Outing & Awards Luncheon will honor members of the ITA Collegiate All-Star Team and ITA/Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership National Award winners at the historic West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, NY. The Oracle/ITA Outing & Awards Luncheon will take place on August 28, 2015. Former New York City Mayor David Dinkins will personally present the honorees with their awards.

The ITA Collegiate All-Star team features the nation's top-ranked men's and women's players from the year-end Oracle/ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings in all collegiate divisions, as well as winners of the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships and NCAA Division I Singles and Doubles Championships.

The ITA/Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership Award recognizes a player’s tennis accomplishments, sportsmanship, leadership, character, scholastic achievements, extracurricular endeavors and overall excellence on and off the court.

“We are very pleased to be returning to the West Side Tennis Club for the Oracle/ITA Outing & Awards Luncheon for the first time since 2005,” Benjamin said. “These honorees serve as wonderful representatives of not only college tennis, but higher education in general.”