ROME, Ga. (April 30, 2026) – The University of North Alabama men's tennis team earned an invitation to compete at the 2026 UTR Sports NIT Championships from May 6-8 in Rome, Ga. This will be the third straight season UNA competes in a postseason tournament beyond the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.

The 2026 campaign continues for the Lions, who look to conquer the postseason tournament in Georgia. Compiled of a five-team field, the NIT championship will be hosted at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College.

The Lions earned the second seed in the tournament and will play third-seeded Longwood on May 7 at 11:30 a.m. ET. The field additionally includes Virginia Tech, North Carolina Central and Chattanooga.

The tournament will be the fourth rendition on both the men's and women's side. The men's team makes its second appearance, earning its first bid in 2024. It also marks the third-straight year a UNA Tennis program competes at the event after the women's tennis team competed in 2025.

Last year's championships saw Chattanooga and Washington State win the men's and women's titles, respectively. Tulsa won the men's and women's titles in 2024, and Liberty Men's Tennis and TCU Women's Tennis won the inaugural competition in 2023.

UNA heads into the tournament with 14 wins on the year – the third-most in Division I program history. The Lions went a perfect 5-0 against ASUN opponents during the regular season and 7-1 in all matches played at home. The season culminated in a semifinal appearance at the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.

North Alabama received four ASUN postseason honors, including the second Doubles Pair of the Year honor in Division I program history. Senior Lachlan Brain became the first Division I student-athlete at North Alabama to earn three consecutive First Team All-ASUN selections.

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