Where Are Aztecs — and College Tennis — Headed?
As opening day approaches. San Diego State’s tennis coaches are predicting success.
“We have a good team,” said Aztec Women’s Coach Nico Vinel.
“We’ve got work to do,” said Aztec Men’s Coach Gene Carswell, while pointing to a raft of excellent players he sees contending for a conference championship.
What nobody knows for certain is how the money question will play out. Fund raising by teams and money raising by players who are able to earn money in various ways are developing as the Aztecs are believed to be playing their final season in the Mountain West Conference.
Whatever the dynamics, the result seems likely to change the very nature of how college tennis will evolve.
Coach Carswell saw the mix progressing this way: “So much has evolved and continues to change in college sports regarding NIL (name, image, likeness) and revenue share.
Coach Vinel: “Yeah, that’s exactly that. That’s perfectly written. It’s with a new age of NIL, revenue sharing, now you have to fund raise more than ever.”
“Top college tennis players are getting paid above and beyond a scholarship to compete for university. In order to keep pace, fundraising is becoming a larger part of a coach’s job to be competitive at the Division One level.”