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uic flames tennis

The UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO stands alone as Chicago's largest institution and only public research university.

The 50,000 members of our campus community and our 300,000 living alumni embody the pride and spirit of our great city.

We are and will always remain, FOR CHICAGO.

THIS IS FLAMES ATHLETICS

18 Sports
85 COACHES & STAFF
300 STUDENT-ATHLETES

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

The Flames 300 student-athletes have achieved a 3.0+ GPA for 18 consecutive semesters. Nearly half earned Dean's List honors last semester.

The Flames posted an outstanding 93% Graduation Rate last year, while Women's Tennis program was 1 of 8 UIC teams to record a perfect 100%.

COMPETITIVE EXCELLENCE

UIC has been a competitive force, capturing 75 conference titles and earning 47 NCAA appearances.

Flames Women's Tennis has captured 19 Conference Championships and made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances.

Student-athlete commitment

UIC Athletics has invested heavily in student-athlete welfare over the past three years.

  • The Flames Leadership Institute was launched in Fall 2020 to provide comprehensive programming in leadership, career development, personal development, equity and inclusion, and service to the campus and Chicago communities.
  • Flames Unite was created in Spring 2021 as an umbrella for Athletics' DEI efforts and resources.
  • UIC Athletics established a multi-year partnership with Millennium Counseling that has significantly expanded student-athlete access to mental wellness resources.
  • The Flames have department-wide partnerships with Adidas, Teamworks, and INFLCR.

UIC ATHLETICS FACILITIES

XS TENNIS VILLAGE

XS Tennis Village is the primary home of Flames Tennis and is conveniently located 6 miles south of UIC's campus, a 10-15 minute drive from the Flames Athletic Center

The $16.9 million, 116,000 square foot facility opened in 2018 and features 29 courts -- 12 indoor courts, 13 outdoor courts, and 4 outdoor clay courts, plus a running track and fitness center.

XS Tennis has hosted a number of major collegiate and professional events, including the 2020 ITA Women's National Indoor Championship, the 2018 Oracle Challenger Series, and World TeamTennis between the Philadelphia Freedoms and the Washington Kastles, in which Taylor Townsend and US Open champion Sloane Stephens played.

XS Tennis Fitness Center
XS Tennis Lounge

FLAMES OUTDOOR TENNIS COURTS

The UIC Athletics Outdoor Sports Complex features 6 outdoor courts for on-campus training and competition.

FLAMES ATHLETIC CENTER

The Flames Athletic Center (FAC) is the central hub of UIC Athletics. The 50,000-square foot venue houses the basketball practice facility; strength and conditioning; athletic medicine; an orthopedic clinic operated by the Flames head team physician; men's and women's basketball team spaces; and athletics administrative offices.

CREDIT UNION 1 ARENA

Credit Union 1 Arena is the 8,000-seat, on-campus home of Flames Basketball and Volleyball.

FLAMES SOCCER stadium

UIC Athletics opened the $5M Flames Soccer Stadium for the Fall 2022 campaign. The only collegiate grass pitch in Chicago features a new video board, press box, and seating for more than 2,000 fans.

GRANDERSON baseball STADIUM

Opened in 2014, Granderson Stadium was supported by a lead gift from Curtis Granderson (B.S. '03), UIC's best known and most accomplished former student-athlete. He earned MLB's Marvin Miller Award as 'Man of the Year' a record four times and was the 2016 Roberto Clemente Award recipient.

FLAMES SOFTBALL FIELD

Flames Softball Field enjoys the iconic Chicago skyline as its batters eye.

INDOOR PRACTICE FACILITY

The Indoor Practice Facility delivers essential winter training space for all Flames sports.

Harborside International Golf Center

Harborside International Golf Center is the home of Flames Women's Golf and features two, 18-hole courses ranked among the best in Illinois, along with an expansive driving range and short game practice facility.

flames natatorium

The Flames Natatorium is the premier aquatics facility in downtown Chicago, hosting collegiate, junior, masters, club and other swimming and diving events throughout the year.

James Stukel Towers

The primary campus residence for student-athletes, JST is conveniently located next to the Flames Athletic Center.

flames athletics campus

The Flames Athletics campus footprint and the iconic Chicago skyline.

FIRE UP THE VALLEY

Following its 40th year of Division I competition, UIC became the 12th member of the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1, 2022.

The Missouri Valley Conference is the nation's second-oldest NCAA Division I conference, now in its 117th season in 2023-24. The MVC is headquartered in St. Louis, a city that has hosted The State Farm MVC Men's Basketball Championship (known as Arch Madness) for more than 30 consecutive years.

MARKETING & BRANDING

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 left four square miles of the Windy City in ruins. But Chicagoans rebuilt and the city reemerged as a cultural and economic hub.

We are the UIC Flames, named in reference to the Great Chicago Fire as well as the progress, transformation, innovation, and resurgence that came afterwards.

Logos

The Block UIC is the primary logo of Flames Athletics.
The Script Flames is the secondary logo popular on uniforms and apparel.

Colors

The primary school colors are Fire Engine Red and Navy Pier Blue, the latter a nod to UIC's roots on Chicago's iconic Navy Pier at Lake Michigan. Chicago Blue and Red Stars from the city's iconic and beloved flag are routinely incorporated into Flames branding and uniforms.

A world of opportunity

UIC student-athletes have the advantage of the nation's third-largest media market, the ESPN media platform, and direct access to Fortune 500 companies spanning numerous industries.

SOCIAL promotion

UIC provides enhanced social media promotion through all major channels with digital and analytical strategies.

SCHOOL SPIRIT

Born from the embers of the Great Chicago Fire, Sparky's Fire Engine Red fur, Navy Pier Blue head spikes, Champions Gold tail flame, Chicago Blue accents, and custom skyline sneakers fully embody the spirit, passion and grit of the UIC Flames and his hometown of Chicago.

The co-ed UIC Cheer & Dance Teams bring the heat to home athletics games and campus events.

UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP

Chancellor marie lynn miranda

Dr. Marie Lynn Miranda became UIC's 10th Chancellor in July 2023, after serving as provost at both Notre Dame and Rice University, and in leadership roles at the University of Michigan and Duke University.

She is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Duke University, where she earned her BA in mathematics and economics, was named a Truman Scholar, and served as a basketball manager for hall of fame coach Mike Krzyzewski. She has a PhD and MA from Harvard University, where she held a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

Dr. Miranda and her husband, Chris Geron, have three adult children, Mariel Geron, Thompson Geron, and Viviana Geron, as well as two English setters and several hundred thousand honeybees that they raise on a family farm.

As UIC’s chancellor, Dr. Miranda heads Chicago’s largest university campus, with more than 34,000 students. The university, which holds the distinguished R1 research status in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, ranks among the top 65 out of more than 650 national universities in federal research funding. UIC also boasts one of the nation’s largest medical schools and Chicago’s first and only public law school.

Director of Athletics Michael Lipitz

Lipitz joined UIC in October 2019 with two decades of leadership experience in the Atlantic Coast Conference at NC State University and the University of Maryland, where he helped engineer dramatic improvements in both academic and competitive results.

Through his first three years at the helm, the Flames have set program records in the classroom, in competition, and in the community. Lipitz also successfully spearheaded UIC's move to the Missouri Valley Conference beginning with the 2022-23 academic year.

A former ACC student-athlete, he captained the men's tennis team at the University of Maryland. Michael and his wife, Kerry, have two boys, Henry and Charlie, and a dog, River.

WHY UIC?

The University of Illinois Chicago

UIC's campus occupies 244 acres in the heart of Chicago. The university features 16 colleges and 100+ majors for its 34,000 students.

UIC ranked No. 22 among 340 U.S. public universities in the 2021 Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education rankings, which also rated UIC among the Top 10 in “Best Value” nationally.

A designated Minority Serving Institution (MSI) and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), UIC is routinely recognized among the nation's most ethnically and culturally diverse campuses.

UIC has more than 300,000 living alumni, an astounding 80% of whom live in Chicagoland.

UIC: From Pier to Present

The Academic & Residential Complex (ARC) is UIC's newest on-campus dorm and enjoys panoramic views of the Chicago skyline.

WHY CHICAGO?

THE Windy City
The Second City
the CITY OF BIG SHOULDERS

Whatever you call her, Chicago is a city unlike any other. We’ve got the architectural marvels, world-class museums, dynamic entertainment, and award-winning dining scene you’d expect from one of the world’s greatest cities.

But we’re more than just another big city — our welcoming residents, 77 distinct neighborhoods, and Midwestern soul truly make Chicago the city that feels like home.

Chicago features 26 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, featuring beaches, trails and parks.
Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) is a popular attraction in Millennium Park.
The Lincoln Park Zoo is a winter wonderland for ZooLights during the holiday season.
Buckingham Fountain, among the largest in the world, features 134 jets that can stream water more than 125 feet.
Chicago is served by O'Hare International Airport (ORD) on the north side, one of the Top 5 busiest terminals in the world, and Midway International Airport (MDW) on the south side, a Southwest Airlines hub.
Chicago's famed "L" trains connect downtown and the suburbs, making the city easy to navigate and explore.
One of the world's greatest sports cities, Chicago is home to the Bears (NFL), Bulls (NBA), Sky (WNBA), Blackhawks (NHL), Cubs & White Sox (MLB), Fire (MLS), and Red Stars (NWSL). Soldier Field (above) is the historic, but renovated, home of the Chicago Bears and Chicago Fire.
Chicago's Navy Pier is among the city's top attractions and served as UIC's campus from 1945-65.
Chicago is a popular location for blockbuster movies through the years.
Chicago is also home to some of TVs most beloved shows for generations.
Fulton Market is Chicago's 'Restaurant Row' and just 10 blocks from UIC's campus. Chicago's hottest neighborhood is also home to McDonald's worldwide headquarters and Google's Chicago campus.
The St. Patrick's Day Parade turns the Chicago River green and is among the city's most popular annual events.
Celebrating the New Year in Chicago
Chicago Theatre is an iconic landmark on North State Street in The Loop. Built in 1921, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The distinctive marquee is an unofficial emblem of Chicago.