UNA men’s tennis opens NCAA tournament against Michigan State; Lions golfer qualifies for NCAA Regionals

FLORENCE – The University of North Alabama men’s tennis team will travel to Starkville, Miss., to face Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA tournament 

The Lions received an automatic bid to an NCAA tournament for the first time after claiming the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship.

UNA will play the Spartans on Friday at 10 a.m. The winner will play the winner of No. 12 seed Mississippi State and New Orleans in the second round Saturday at 1 p.m. Mississippi State is one of 16 site hosts for the first two rounds. The top 16 seeds will host three other teams in a first- and second-round regional.

The 2025 NCAA Division I men’s tennis championship qualifiers were revealed in a selection show on NCAA.com on Monday. UNA hosted a watch party at Mugshots Grill and Bar in downtown Florence, as student-athletes, coaches and members of the Shoals community joined in celebration.

The first and second rounds are Friday to Sunday, followed by Super Regionals May 9-11. The final rounds will be played May 16-18 at Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas.

The Lions have a 19-3 overall record this season, marking the most single-season wins for the program since 1988. UNA swept through conference play with an 8-0 record, earning the program’s first conference championship since 1981.

More information regarding streaming, live stats, and tickets will be announced soon. To view the bracket, click here.

Golfer Xing Luo qualifies for NCAA Regional

UNA will also be represented in the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Regional Championship as Xing Luo was named one of 36 individual qualifiers. Luo is the first individual to be selected for a Division I regional in UNA program history. 

Luo, a junior, had a memorable season, capping it off with a fourth-place finish in Valdosta, Ga., at the ASUN Championship, leading his team to its highest finish in program history.

He won two individual crowns at the GMAC Invitational and the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational. Luo won four ASUN Golfer of the Week awards this season – the most in a career and he did it in one season. He currently ranks as the 143rd golfer in the nation, according to Clippd Scoreboard.

Luo will tee off at 9:53 a.m. May 12 with golfers from Arkansas State and USC Upstate. 

The Regionals are May 12-14 with the top five teams from each regional advancing along with the highest-finishing individual not on an advancing team. The NCAA Championship begins May 23 at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.