Varsity Tennis Center Receives National Recognition for Outdoor Facility
2/28/2019 12:02:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan's Varsity Tennis Center has been selected as the American Sports Builders Association's 2018 Outdoor Tennis Facility of Year.
The Varsity Tennis Center's William Clay Ford Outdoor Courts, which consist of 12 championship-caliber courts with seating for 600 spectators, underwent a major renovation in summer 2017. The outdoor asphalt playing surfaces were replaced with post-tensioned concrete, which has a greater resistance to cracking, superior surface drainage and is less susceptible to the effects of climate. New under drainage, fencing, walk connectors, equipment and wind screens were included in the project, while the existing stadium seating was preserved. GMB and Beckett & Raeder were the architects behind the renovation.
The Varsity Tennis Center was constructed in 1997 at the cost of $6 million and has served as the home of Michigan men's and women's tennis programs since its inception. The outdoor facility is named for the late William Clay Ford Sr., a Michigan alumnus and former owner/president of the NFL's Detroit Lions. The VTC complex also includes the eight-court Preston Robert Tisch Tennis Building, named for the late New York Giants owner and a prime contributor to the facility.
"We are extremely fortunate to call the Varsity Tennis Center home," said men's head coach Adam Steinberg. "There have been so many beautiful tennis centers built around the country in the last 10 years, but since our renovation, we feel that our indoor/outdoor facility is comparable to anybody. I am proud to be a Wolverine and coach in such a special place."
"I think the Varsity Tennis Center is one of the best facilities in the country," said women's head coach Ronni Bernstein. "We are so grateful to have such an amazing place to call home, with quality courts both inside and outside."
The facility has hosted numerous NCAA, Big Ten Conference and Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) events and will be the host site for the 2019 Big Ten Men's Tennis Tournament (April 25-28).
The Varsity Tennis Center has been honored twice previously by the ASBA group. In 1999, it received the Outstanding Indoor Tennis Facility Award from what was then known as the U.S. Tennis Court & Track Builders Association. The following year the VTC received the Outdoor Court Award when it was completed.
The Varsity Tennis Center is open to the public and has annual memberships available at tennis.umich.edu.
The ASBA is a national organization for builders, designers and suppliers of materials for tennis courts, running tracks, natural and synthetic turf fields, and indoor and outdoor synthetic sport surfaces. It was founded in 1965 as the U.S. Tennis Court & Track Builders Association (USTC&TBA) by a group of contractors who recognized the need for an organization that could help them address their mutual problems, set industry standards and keep them informed on issues pertinent to their businesses. Its name was changed in 2004 to reflect the broad range of work performed by its members.
