MBU Community, 

Mary Baldwin University remains deeply committed to providing meaningful, competitive athletic experiences for our student-athletes. That commitment includes careful consideration of the resources and support necessary to ensure the health, safety, and long-term success of each program.

After thoughtful review, the university has made the very difficult decision to suspend the men's and women's tennis programs, which have just three returning players and one incoming recruit for the 2025–26 season At this time, no decision has been made about the duration of this program suspension beyond 2025–26.

This decision was not made lightly. Over the last five recruiting cycles, under two different head coaches, MBU has struggled to build sustainable rosters for both programs. Most recently, of the 14 players listed this season, six are graduating seniors, one has exhausted their NCAA eligibility, and four are student-athletes from other sports stepping in to help round out the roster. 

Our tennis student-athletes have shown resilience, teamwork, and commitment despite these challenges, and we are proud of their efforts. All current players will retain their NCAA eligibility and will receive full support from the university should they choose to transfer to another institution to continue their tennis careers.

If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at tpbyrnes@marybaldwin.edu or 540-887-7206 (please leave a message).

Thank you for your understanding, and for your continued support of MBU athletics and our student-athletes.

Respectfully,

Tom Byrnes
Director of Athletics
Mary Baldwin University