USC and UCLA will still remain part of the storied tradition of The Ojai as women’s teams from the Big Ten Conference will be part of the 123^rd Annual Ojai Tennis Tournament April 23-26, 2025, Ojai Valley Tennis Club President Carolyn Burke and Big Ten Conference have announced.

The Big Ten Conference – the oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States founded in 1896 – was founded the same year as one of the nation’s oldest tennis tournaments, The Ojai, the classic event played under the massive eucalyptus and oak trees overhanging Libbey Park in downtown Ojai.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome the Big Ten Conference to The Ojai to stage their conference tournaments,” Burke said. “We feel having the Big Ten schools coming to compete will only add to the legacy of our storied tournament.”

“We look forward to partnering with the Ojai Valley Tennis Club as they host the 2025 Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament,” said Becky Pany, Big Ten Conference, Senior Vice President, Sports Administration. “The Ojai will be an exciting post-season opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches and fans, both locally and from across the country.”

Longtime UCLA women’s coach Stella Sampras-Webster was an Ojai Tennis Tournament champion as a junior growing up in Southern California and made two doubles finals and one in singles playing for the Bruins in the early 1990s.

“We are super excited to have the Big Ten Tournament at Ojai this season,” Sampras-Webster said. “Ojai has a unique charm, and it holds a special place for us. We have so much history playing there. The weather is great, people are so hospitable, and the town is so supportive. It’s such a privilege to be back there to compete for a Big Ten Tournament championship.”

The 17 other Big Ten schools include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, USC, Washington, and Wisconsin. The top 12 teams will earn direct entry and qualify to play at The Ojai.

The 2024 Big Ten Conference Women’s Tennis Tournament took place at the University of Michigan’s Varsity Tennis Center with the Wolverines beating The Ohio State Buckeyes to win the title. A source close to the tournament said the plan is to have the Big Ten men’s postseason at The Ojai in 2026, but nothing has been finalized at this time.

Besides the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Tournament, The Ojai will once again serve as host to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships for teams and individuals that qualify. The Ojai’s Men’s and Women’s Open singles and doubles divisions will be contested as a prize money event. The tournament also includes the Boys’ CIF singles and doubles divisions, and more junior competitions with the Boys’ and Girls’ 14s and 16s draws, and a Girls’ 18s draw. The finals of the CCCAA, the Open and various junior divisions will take place on Sunday, April 27.