Tennis On Campus brings 70+ student members together at Kansas State University

College students don’t have to be on their school’s varsity team to play tennis competitively. The USTA’s Tennis On Campus program offers students the ability to play without the rigors of being an NCAA student-athlete.

More than 600 colleges participate in Tennis On Campus—including Kansas State University’s strong program featuring 70-plus members—with several schools across USTA Missouri Valley competing.

K-State senior Brayden Shumaker decided to join the club to meet people who play tennis and to keep competing after high school. Now he captains the club, helping coordinate practices, matches and tournaments between K-State and other schools in the USTA Missouri Valley. The club team has grown so much the past couple years there is now an A team and a B team.

“We go to a few tournaments every semester, one hosted by USTA Missouri Valley and then one or two hosted by other schools,” Shumaker said. “We also try to host one on our campus at the K-State rec center.”

He added that K-State has about 40-50 players who don’t participate in these tournaments but get together a couple times a week just to hit and socialize. Shumaker credited friendly competition and the health benefits of tennis to TOC’s success at K-State.

“I’d say TOC has taken off because of the fun energy that the tournaments provide,” he said. “I also think there has been a boom in interest in physical activity post-COVID, and tennis is a great outlet for that energy.”

Being a captain can be time consuming, especially as a college student. But for Shumaker and other Tennis On Campus leaders, it’s worth it to bring people together.

“I think the captains who help grow the tennis communities on their respective campuses are doing a great job at fostering a community of like-minded people who enjoy being physically active and playing tennis,” he said.

The Wildcats recently competed at the 2026 USTA Missouri Valley Tennis On Campus Section Championship in Springfield, Mo. Read more and watch a video of the action here.