There has been a lot of talk about Texas’ move to the SEC in revenue sports, and for good reason. In addition to the chatter about playing Georgia in football or Kentucky in basketball, women’s tennis will face more resistance than it has previously.
The ripple effect of conference realignment will be felt in every corner of Texas athletics. The standard of SEC tennis is higher, largely due to the amount of spending in athletic programs across the board compared to the Big 12. The SEC spends an average of $156.26 million compared to the Big 12’s $126.06 million. This disparity is clearly shown on the court in women’s tennis.
The SEC is by far the strongest women’s tennis conference as of 2024, sending a record-tying nine teams to the NCAA tournament last year, seven teams to the second round and eventually three out of four teams to the Final Four before Texas A&M and Georgia met in the national championship match. SEC tennis is on top, which is exactly where Texas women’s tennis wants to be.
“As a competitive person and as a coach, it’s a challenge and enormously exciting,” head coach Howard Joffe said on the prospect of joining the SEC.
Joffe is familiar with the SEC tennis landscape. He coached at Texas A&M for four years before deciding to leave College Station for Austin in 2016. He will have a unique opportunity to compete against his former team in Austin on Feb. 23 to kick off the team’s SEC debut. The matchup will be especially significant considering A&M’s accomplishments last season.
The matchup with the Aggies comes two weeks before Texas plays four straight road matches, perhaps the most difficult part of the schedule, headlined by perennial powerhouse Florida and 2015 national champions Vanderbilt.
Joffe’s Longhorns were bounced in the Sweet 16 of last year’s NCAA tournament, falling to No. 8 UCLA. The result was disappointing considering the championship standard that Texas has established, but building blocks remain for an exciting 2024 season.
Texas is applying the same formula that enabled them to capture championships in 2021 and 2022 to the current roster. During these runs, Texas leaned on its strong recruiting classes, which were ranked No. 1 in the country in both years.
In 2024, Joffe has a “star-studded” incoming group headlined by freshman Maya Joint. Joint is a Detroit native who plays under the Australian flag. She is a generational prospect, rated the 135th best woman in the world as of August, according to the Women’s Tennis Association.
“Her tennis rating is higher than anyone who has ever played college tennis,” Joffe said.
Leaning on the top recruiting class in the country, Texas has the talent to be able to handle the uptick in competition. The marriage of experienced coaching and a gritty SEC schedule will test the new recruits. Nevertheless, Texas is poised to make noise in its inaugural season.
