The roar of "ILL-INI" is coming back to Atkins Tennis Center. After a three-year wait, Illinois men's tennis is once again hosting the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament, bringing the postseason battle right to Champaign.
Action kicks off Friday, and the Illini are no strangers to this stage. This marks the 20th time the program has served as a tournament host and the 19th NCAA appearance under head coach Brad Dancer in his 21 seasons. For a program that once made hosting look routine—doing so 10 times in Dancer's first 12 years—the return to home soil in 2024 feels especially hard-earned.
"I always told people back then, 'Don't take it for granted,'" Dancer said. "Now it's been a number of years since we've hosted. For a lot of people, they feel like for Illinois tennis it's a birthright to host. It's not. You've got to earn it every single year. I'm happy for this team to earn this opportunity."
What did this squad do to bring the NCAAs back to Champaign? Simple: they competed relentlessly. Dancer credits a "tremendous competitive spirit" and a group that plays with its heart on its sleeve. The result is a team that has earned the right to sleep in its own beds and play in front of a home crowd.
And the Illini are pulling out all the stops to make sure that crowd shows up. Dancer promises prizes, contests, and an electric atmosphere designed to turn Atkins into a fortress.
"We are trying to pull every single person in Champaign out here this weekend," Dancer said.
Freshman Gabriel Debru is already envisioning the scene. "Atmosphere is going to be nice. It's loud, everyone's screaming 'ILL—INI.' It's a great, great environment. For people that don't even know tennis, I think it's just a great moment to spend with the kids."
Fellow freshman Adam Jilly added a bit of a warning to the opposition: "We are going to be loud. We are going to be tough on the opponents. We are going to come after them."
The Illini open play Friday against Yale. The winner advances to face either Notre Dame or Vanderbilt on Saturday, with a spot in the Super-Regionals—and a place among the final 16 teams in the country—on the line.