Men's Tennis to Host NCAA Tournament Regional for Second Time in Program HistoryMen's Tennis to Host NCAA Tournament Regional for Second Time in Program History

Men's Tennis to Host NCAA Tournament Regional for Second Time in Program History

by Alex Clough

ORLANDO - For the second time in program history, the No. 14 UCF men’s tennis team is set to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament as the 15th-ranked national seed, welcoming South Florida (two-seed), Florida (three-seed) and Miami (fourth-seed) to the USTA National Campus.

The selection marks the eighth overall for the program and the second consecutive for head coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess and Kareem Allaf in as many seasons. UCF last hosted a regional in 2021 as the nation’s ninth seed, advancing to the second round for the first time.

Fresh off a storied 2025 regular season, which preceded a trip to the Big 12 Championship title match, the Knights boast one of the nation’s strongest resumes. One of five teams to have four top-10 wins to their name, the Black and Gold are one of just three to have a winning record against the opponents (4-2).

Prior to Bruce-Burgess and Allaf’s arrival, UCF has played 838 matches at the Dl level without a top-10 win. Now, just 54 matches into their tenure and over a 22-match span, it has four.

During their first season at the realm, the Knights upset No. 23 Florida in the first round of the Tallahassee Regional, marking their second-ever win in the NCAA Tournament.

The Knights met with Miami in February, as the Hurricanes handed UCF its first loss of the season after an 8-0 start. While Florida and UCF's last meeting remains in 2024's historic NCAA first-round matchup, the Knights and second-seeded Bulls have split a mair of meetings this season.

Head Coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess Press Conference