BNP PARIBAS OPEN COLLEGIATE TENNIS CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY ORACLE TO FEATURE SEVEN TOP-RANKED TEAMS TO PLAY IN INDIAN WELLS CALIFORNIA

Written by: Staff on 25th February 2016

BNP PARIBAS OPEN COLLEGIATE TENNIS CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY ORACLE TO FEATURE SEVEN TOP-RANKED TEAMS TO PLAY IN INDIAN WELLS CALIFORNIA

epa04122491 Kevin Anderson of South Africa prepares to serve against Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland at the BNP Paribas Open tennis in Indian Wells, California, USA, 12 March 2014. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

Collegiate Tennis Challenge Returns for Third Consecutive Year

The BNP Paribas Open Collegiate Tennis Challenge presented by Oracle will be held over the final weekend, March 18-20, of the BNP Paribas Open, the largest ATP World Tour and WTA combined two-week event in the world, it was announced today by Chief Executive Officer Raymond Moore.

This year the BNP Paribas Open Collegiate Tennis Challenge, which launched in 2013, will feature both men’s and women’s teams. Baylor University and University of Southern California will bring men’s and women’s teams, and the University of Illinois, University of California-Berkeley and University of Oklahoma will bring men’s teams. The event will be held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, one of the preeminent tennis venues in the world.

“The BNP Paribas Open has a rich history of featuring up-and-coming talent in our main draw, and the Collegiate Tennis Challenge presented by Oracle allows us to showcase some rising stars on the collegiate level,” said Moore. “This event gives fans another great experience to add to the final weekend of the BNP Paribas Open.”

The men’s teams from Baylor University and University of Illinois will face-off on Friday, March 18 to kick off the Collegiate Tennis Challenge. Saturday’s schedule contains three matches – the first two are men’s matches with Baylor University taking on University of California-Berkeley and University of Oklahoma (men) battling University of Southern California, and they are followed by a women’s matchup between Baylor University and University of Southern California. Sunday’s final day of competition includes two men’s matches; Baylor University vs. University of Southern California and University of Oklahoma vs. University of California-Berkeley.

“Oracle is proud to debut both men’s and women’s teams at this year’s BNP Paribas Open Collegiate Tennis Challenge,” said Oracle Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd. “The opportunity to play at a world-class venue like the Indian Wells Tennis Garden provides an amazing experience for the student-athletes and gives fans a chance to see some of the finest talent and programs in collegiate tennis.”

All matches will count toward the official collegiate team records for the 2016 season. The Collegiate Tennis Challenge is free for patrons with BNP Paribas Open tickets or event credentials for the respective dates.

For more information, visit www.bnpparibasopen.com, and for continuing coverage of the BNP Paribas Open Collegiate Tennis Challenge presented by Oracle, follow @OracleTennis, @BNPPARIBASOPEN and @ITATennis on Twitter.

About the BNP Paribas Open

The BNP Paribas Open is the largest ATP World Tour and WTA combined two-week event in the world, and is held annually at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The site underwent a significant expansion in 2014 that included a new permanent Stadium 2 with 8,000 seats and three restaurants, including world-renowned Nobu; four more practice courts, an additional 19,000 square foot shade structure, and more. The tournament offers more than $10 million in prize money, and is the only event to provide the Hawkeye line challenge system on all match courts, including qualifying rounds. In 2015, more than 456,000 people attended the event. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.bnpparibasopen.com, call 800-999-1585 or visit the Indian Wells Tennis Garden box office at 78-200 Miles Avenue, Indian Wells, CA, 92210.

About BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas has operations in 75 countries and boasts more than 185,000 employees, including approximately 145,000 in Europe. It ranks highly in its two core activities: Retail Banking & Services (comprised of Domestic Markets and International Financial Services) and Corporate & Institutional Banking. In Europe, the Group has four domestic markets (Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg) and BNP Paribas Personal Finance is the leader in consumer lending. BNP Paribas is rolling out its integrated retail banking model across Mediterranean basin countries, in Turkey, in Eastern Europe and a large network in the western part of the United States. In its Corporate & Institutional Banking and International Financial Services activities, BNP Paribas also enjoys top positions in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas and solid and fast-growing businesses in Asia-Pacific.

Topics: BNP Paribas Open, Collegiate Tennis Challenge, Indian Wells, Tennis News