Defending Big 12 Champs Unveil Schedule

NORMAN, Okla. – The defending Big 12 champion and national runner-up Oklahoma men's tennis team announced its 2015 spring schedule Tuesday.

“We are very excited about the upcoming year,” head coach John Roddick said. “We have a tremendous non-conference schedule which includes Virginia and North Carolina at home. It's a very difficult schedule, but I know our guys will be ready”

The 2015 campaign features an impressive slate of ranked competition with dual matches against 12 teams that finished 2014 in the top 40, including five of the top 10.

The Sooners open at the MLK Invitational in Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 17-19. From there the team heads back to Norman to host the ITA-Kick Off Weekend at the Headington Family Tennis Center, Jan. 24-25.

Should the Sooners win both their Kick Off Weekend dual matches, they will travel to Chicago to take part in the ITA National Indoor Championships, Feb. 12-15. The Sooners went 2-1 in the event last season including wins over Baylor, then ranked No. 6, and Illinois, then ranked No. 11.

“We host the ITA-Kick Off Weekend again,” Roddick said. “That gives us a great home-court advantage as we try to advance to the final 16 of the National Indoors.”

Oklahoma hosts non-conference dual matches with Wichita State (1/20), South Florida (2/6), Alabama (2/8), North Carolina (2/22), Florida State (2/28) and Virginia (3/10). Oklahoma toppled Wichita State, Alabama, Texas A&M and Florida State in 2014.

The Sooners will also travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., to face Wake Forest and to Columbus, Ohio, for a rematch with Ohio State. The Sooners upset the then top-ranked Buckeyes in Norman in 2014.

Roddick and the Sooners will chase their fourth consecutive Big 12 title when conference play opens March 27 with a home dual match against TCU. The Sooners will also play host to Texas and Oklahoma State while traveling to Baylor and Texas Tech.

Postseason play begins April 23 with the Big 12 Championships in Waco, Texas, hosted by Baylor. Oklahoma's quest to return to the national championship match begins May 8 with regional play. The Sooners hosted in 2014 and defeated Montana and Harvard to advance to the national championships where they defeated Kentucky, North Carolina and UCLA, all ranked in the top 15, to advance to the national title match with USC.

All home matches are played at the Headington Family Tennis Center and the Gregg Wadley Indoor Pavilion and feature free admission.

For more information on OU Men's Tennis, follow the team on Twitter at @OU_MTennis.