Oklahoma's Headington Family Tennis Center Named USTA Outstanding Facility 2026

In Norman, the trophies keep arriving even when no balls are in play.

The University of Oklahoma’s Headington Family Tennis Center and Gregg Wadley Indoor Tennis Pavilion has been named a 2026 USTA Outstanding Facility, one of the most coveted honors in American tennis infrastructure. The announcement came in New York during the U.S. Open, placing OU’s courts on the sport’s biggest national stage.

Only 12 educational institutions across the country earned the distinction. Just six of those sit on a college campus. Oklahoma is in that elite group.

Coaches' Perspectives

For head women’s coach Audra Cohen, the recognition simply confirms what her players and opponents feel every time they walk through the gates.

“We are incredibly proud to call the Headington Family Tennis Center our home,” Cohen said, calling it an “exceptional experience” for student‑athletes and visitors alike. She singled out tennis club director Dawna Johnston for “heart, dedication and many years of service to OU Tennis,” crediting a wide circle of supporters for helping turn the complex into one of the premier venues in the nation.

Across the hallway, men’s coach Nick Crowell sees the same thing every morning.

“It’s incredible to walk into our facility every day and see the very best in college tennis,” Crowell said. He pointed to a wave of upgrades and renovations, funded by donors and backed by the athletics department, that he believes have “transformed the Headington Family Tennis Center into the finest collegiate tennis facility in the nation.”

USTA Evaluation Criteria

The USTA did not hand out that plaque lightly. Facilities were measured against a long checklist: how intelligently the complex fits its site, the quality of the court surface and lights, and how easily the place can be maintained. Judges studied what it offers players, fans and media, the look and feel of the venue, its signage and landscaping, and the comfort touches that define a modern tennis experience — casual seating, food options, social areas. They also weighed something less visible but just as important: a facility’s commitment to grassroots tennis.

From there, candidates were sorted into four categories. There were public courts, split between smaller centers with 2 to 11 courts and large hubs with 12 or more. There were private facilities that still open their doors to USTA and public programming to help grow the game, again divided by size. Educational institutions, from grade schools to universities, formed another group. A final “Innovation” category highlighted those pushing new ways to deliver tennis. Winners, including Oklahoma, receive a wall plaque and an all‑weather sign to mount at their venue — a permanent marker of national status.

Facility Features

OU’s complex more than holds its own under that kind of scrutiny.

Home to both the men’s and women’s programs, the Headington Family Tennis Center offers 12 outdoor courts wrapped in fan‑friendly design. Seating lines the action. Championship‑level lighting and surface standards match what you’d expect from a program that regularly hosts postseason play. A sound system, electronic scoreboards and benches on every court turn routine dual matches into full events.

The layout is deliberate. The outdoor courts are carved into four three‑court quadrants, giving coaches, players and spectators clean sightlines and easy movement during busy match days.

Step inside to the Gregg Wadley Indoor Tennis Pavilion and the scale grows. The full complex features 18 courts when indoor play is included, along with locker rooms for home and visiting teams, storage for trainers and equipment staff, and indoor amenities that keep fans comfortable when the weather turns.

Postseason Fixture

This isn’t a showpiece that sits empty in May. The Headington Family Tennis Center has become a postseason fixture, hosting NCAA First and Second Round action 15 times: 2003, 2004, 2010 through 2014, 2016 through 2018, and 2022 through 2026. That kind of continuity turns a building into a destination.

Honoring Timothy C. Headington

The name on the gate carries its own story. The center honors Timothy C. Headington, a 1972 University of Oklahoma graduate and tennis letterwinner whose connection to the program stretches back more than half a century.

Now his name sits on a facility the rest of the country has officially recognized — a home court that doesn’t just stage college tennis, but helps define what it should look like in 2026 and beyond.