Virginia State Men’s Tennis Joins SIAC as Affiliate Member for 2026-27
Photo: SIAC
Virginia State University men's tennis is officially getting a new conference home.
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) announced that Virginia State's men's tennis program will join the conference as an affiliate member for the 2026-27 season, giving the Trojans an opportunity to compete for a conference championship beginning this fall.
The addition brings the SIAC's men's tennis membership to five programs.
A New Opportunity for Virginia State
For Virginia State, the move provides its men's tennis student-athletes with a chance to compete within a conference while strengthening the Trojans' connection to the broader HBCU athletics community.
SIAC Commissioner Anthony Holloman, Ed.D., said the conference's combination of tradition, competition and visibility will provide additional opportunities for Virginia State's student-athletes.
Virginia State Associate Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes also highlighted the move as an opportunity to enhance the student-athlete experience while building relationships across the conference.
The SIAC is one of the nation's oldest HBCU athletic conferences, and Virginia State's addition adds another HBCU tennis program to its championship landscape.
Trojans Prepare for SIAC Debut
Virginia State returns four players this season under head coach Chavez Mabry, who is entering his fifth season leading the program.
For Mabry, the conference affiliation represents a chance for his team to compete for something that wasn't previously available as an independent program: a conference championship.
"This is a great day for the tennis program and the university," Mabry said. "The men can now not only compete at a high level but compete for a championship as a member of a conference rather than as an independent."
The Trojans won't have to wait long to make their SIAC debut.
Virginia State will compete in the 2026 SIAC Men's and Women's Tennis Fall Open from Oct. 28-30 at the South Fulton Tennis Center in South Fulton, Georgia.
The event will mark the beginning of Virginia State men's tennis' first season competing as an SIAC affiliate.
Source: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
