EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Men's Tennis was predicted to finish fourth in the Horizon League South Division in the 2026 Under Armour #HLTEN Preseason Poll as voted on by the head coaches.
 
With the departures of Chicago State University and Eastern Illinois from the conference, the league will consist of eight teams this year, with four teams in each division. The top three teams of each division will compete in the conference championship in Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 24-26.
 
The Screaming Eagles will return to the court in 2026 after finishing third in the South Division in 2025. USI earned a trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to compete in the conference championship. The Eagles fell to Youngstown State University in the quarterfinals 4-0.
 
Head Coach Chris Crawford was named the 2025 Horizon League Men's Tennis Coach of the Year. Crawford enters his 17^th year at the helm this season, after leading the Eagles to the most successful season since the transition to Division I.
 
The 2025 season saw a significant improvement over the previous season, as the Screaming Eagles secured two key conference wins against EIU and Tennessee Tech University, finishing the season with a 5-10 record. USI picked up four total votes in the 2026 poll, placing them fourth in the South Division.
 
Belmont University, the reigning conference champion, was picked to top the South Division with three first-place votes and 15 total votes. Belmont is also the overall preseason selection. TTU followed with one first-place vote and 12 total votes, and to round out the division was Tennessee State University with nine votes.
 
In the north, Cleveland State University took the top spot with four first-place votes and 16 total votes. Youngstown took second place with 11 votes, followed by Indiana University Indianapolis with nine votes, and Northern Kentucky with four.
 
The Screaming Eagles will kick off the 2026 season with a trip to the University of Louisville on January 25 at noon CST. They will return to Evansville on February 6 at 12:30 p.m. to take on Drake University at the Evansville Tennis Center.
 
For more information, visit our website at usiscreamingeagles.com or find us on social media at USI Athletics.