Empire 8 Tournament Central
The top three teams from each division will advance to the 2026 Empire 8 Men’s Tennis Championship Tournament. The top-team in each division will receive an opening round bye, while the No. 2 vs. No. 3 seeds in each division would play each other to determine the final four participants. In 2026, the East Division No. 1 seed will host the semifinals and championship. The second and third seeded East teams will play on Saturday, April 25, while the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds from the West will play on Tuesday, April 28.
The top-seed in the East will play the lowest remaining West Division team in one semifinal on Friday, May 1, while the West No. 1 seed will play the lowest remaining East Division team in the second semifinal. The two semifinal winners will meet for the 2026 Empire 8 Championship on Saturday, May 2. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship, which begins on Friday, May 8.
Format: Dual match is played until decision (4 points) Three doubles matches (1 point for doubles, see below) are followed by six singles matches. No-ad scoring for both singles and doubles matches. Singles matches will play two out of three sets. Doubles play eight pro set with a twelve-point tiebreaker at 7-all.
Final 2026 Empire 8 Men's Tennis Championship Seeds
East No. 1 – Thomas College (5-0 E8)
East No. 2 – Norwich University (4-1 E8)
East No. 3 – SUNY Delhi (3-2 E8)
West No. 1 – St. John Fisher University (8-0 E8)
West No. 2 – Alfred University (6-2 E8)
West No. 3 – SUNY Oswego (3-5 E8)
2026 Empire 8 Men's Tennis Championship Schedule
Saturday, April 25 - First Round (East Division)
East No. 2 Norwich University defeated East No. 3 SUNY Delhi, 6-1 – BOX SCORE
Tuesday, April 28 - First Round (West Division) - Match at St. Bonaventure University
West No. 2 Alfred defeated West No. 3 SUNY Oswego, 4-0 – BOX SCORE
Friday, May 1 - Semifinals (at East Division Top-Seed) – A Copi Tennis & Sports Center, Augusta, ME
West No. 2 Alfred at East No. 1 Thomas – 2:30 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE SCORING
East No. 2 Norwich vs. West No. 1 St. John Fisher – 5:30 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE SCORING
Saturday, May 2 - Championship (at East Division Top-Seed) – A Copi Tennis & Sports Center, Augusta, ME
Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2 – 1 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE SCORING
2026 Empire 8 Men's Tennis Championship Semifinals and Championship Location
A Copi Tennis & Sports Center
23 Leighton Rd.
Augusta, ME 04330
2026 Empire 8 Men's Tennis Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player
2026 Empire 8 Men's Tennis Championship Torchbearer Award Winner
Postseason Format:
Three 6-game doubles pro sets (doubles count as one point total) followed by six singles matches (singles matches count one point each) for a total of 7 team points. The team that wins two of the three doubles matches receives one dual match point. Each singles match is worth one point. Four or more points are required to win the dual match.
- Doubles – Doubles matches played until one team wins two of the three doubles matches. If one team wins two doubles matches before the third is finished, the third match is unfinished.
- Singles – Singles matches played until the winning team earns four points (between doubles and singles) to clinch the match. Any matches that are not completed go into the stats as unfinished.
For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on X (@Empire8).
