One of California’s most historic tennis destinations is getting ready to welcome a new conference championship.

The West Coast Conference announced today that the 2027 WCC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships will be held April 22 to 24 at Libbey Park in Ojai, California, in partnership with the Ojai Valley Tennis Club.

The three day tournament will bring six team fields in both the men’s and women’s tournaments to a venue with a tennis history spanning more than 125 years. For the WCC, the move to Ojai adds another chapter to the conference’s tradition of hosting its tennis championships at prominent California facilities, following recent championships at Green Valley Country Club in Fairfield and the Aztec Tennis Center at San Diego State University.

But Ojai is more than simply another championship venue. It is home to The Ojai, one of the most storied tournaments in American tennis.

A Historic Heritage Meets a New Era

The Ojai Valley Tennis Club was founded in the 1890s, and the first Ojai Tennis Tournament was held in 1896. What began as a local tennis event grew into a nationally recognized tournament, drawing generations of elite players while becoming deeply woven into the fabric of the Ojai community.

The tournament’s collegiate history is particularly significant.

For 70 years, The Ojai hosted Pac-12 Conference tennis, welcoming powerhouse programs including USC, UCLA, Stanford, and Cal to Libbey Park. The 2024 tournament marked the final Pac-12 championship at The Ojai, bringing an end to a seven decade tradition as conference realignment reshaped collegiate athletics.

That final tournament brought a memorable conclusion to the Ojai’s Pac-12 era. Arizona defeated Stanford, 4-0, to claim the men’s team title, while Stanford defeated Cal, 4-0, on the women’s side. It was the first time a non-California school had won the men’s team championship at The Ojai.

But the courts at Libbey Park were never going to stay quiet for long.

The Ojai continued to welcome high level collegiate competition, including the Big Ten Women’s Tennis Championship in 2025 and the Big Ten Men’s Tennis Championship in 2026. The WCC will now become the latest conference to bring its championship to Ojai when its men’s and women’s tournaments arrive in April 2027.

A Who’s Who of Tennis Legends

The Ojai’s legacy extends well beyond conference championships.

Its list of past competitors reads like a who’s who of tennis history. Bill Tilden, Arthur Ashe, Billie Jean King, Stan Smith, Jimmy Connors, Tracy Austin, Michael Chang, Lindsay Davenport, Pete Sampras, and Bob and Mike Bryan are among the many legendary players who have competed at the tournament.

The tournament’s Wall of Fame offers another measure of its remarkable legacy. As of 2026, 100 players who competed at The Ojai have gone on to win at least one Grand Slam singles or doubles title, including Ashe, King, Sampras, Davenport, and the Bryan brothers.

For Southern California icons Bob and Mike Bryan, The Ojai is personal. The brothers first experienced the tournament as young children while watching their parents compete, later returning as collegiate players. Bob won the Pac-10 singles championship as a Stanford freshman before the brothers went on to win a combined 16 Grand Slam titles, 119 ATP titles, and two Olympic medals.

Even with all of those accomplishments, Bob has described winning his conference title at The Ojai as a uniquely special moment in his career.

That combination of history, elite competition, collegiate tradition, and community has made The Ojai far more than a tournament. For generations of players, it has been a place where college careers, lifelong memories, and tennis legacies intersect.

Now, the West Coast Conference is poised to become part of that history.

The WCC Heads to Libbey Park

For the West Coast Conference, bringing its championship to Ojai creates a fitting setting for its men’s and women’s programs.

“Providing our student-athletes with a first-class championship experience is always a priority, and returning our tennis championships to Ojai delivers on that commitment,” said West Coast Conference Commissioner Stu Jackson. “Ojai has a rich tennis tradition and a history of hosting outstanding professional and collegiate competition. We are excited to partner with the Ojai Valley Tennis Club to provide our teams and supporters with a tremendous championship atmosphere as we compete for WCC titles at one of the premier tennis destinations in our footprint.”

Libbey Park features eight outdoor hard courts divided between Upper Libbey and Lower Libbey, with four courts in each area. The courts are used year round for community programming, including tennis classes, private lessons, World Team Tennis, and USTA National Junior Tennis League programming. The park also serves as the primary home for The Ojai’s historic tournament competition.

Set in the heart of downtown Ojai, the venue offers an atmosphere that is difficult to replicate at a traditional collegiate athletic facility. The courts bring together players, coaches, alumni, families, volunteers, and fans while placing championship tennis in the center of the Ojai community.

“For more than 125 years, and since 1896, The Ojai has been a tournament steeped in tradition and pageantry,” said Mark Happach, President of the Ojai Valley Tennis Club. “The Ojai’s main event for years at storied Libbey Park has been powerhouse NCAA Division I men’s and women’s programs fighting it out for a conference championship. In 2027, we welcome the West Coast Conference with open arms and can’t wait to begin another long tradition at The Ojai with the WCC.”

Three Days to a Conference Title

The 2027 WCC Championships will feature six teams in each tournament, with competition beginning Thursday, April 22.

The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will receive first round byes, while opening day will feature the No. 3 seed facing No. 6 and the No. 4 seed facing No. 5.

The semifinal round will take place Friday, April 23, followed by championship matches for both the men’s and women’s tournaments on Saturday, April 24.

The three day format sets up a championship weekend filled with college tennis while placing the WCC’s top teams in one of the sport’s most historic settings.

Continuing Ojai’s Collegiate Legacy

The 2027 WCC Championships will arrive just one year after the University of San Diego and Pepperdine claimed the 2026 conference titles.

The Toreros defeated the Waves, 4-3, to win the men’s championship, while Pepperdine defeated San Diego, 4-1, to capture the women’s title.

Now, the road to the 2027 WCC Championships will lead to Ojai, where another generation of college players will compete for conference titles on courts that have hosted some of the biggest names in tennis history.

For a tournament that has spent more than a century bringing together the past, present, and future of the sport, the arrival of the West Coast Conference is a natural addition to The Ojai’s remarkable collegiate legacy.

The 2027 WCC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships will take place April 22 to 24 at Libbey Park in Ojai.

For the latest information, visit WCCsports.com.