Tennis Programs To Be Replaced With Esports Initiative At Harford Community Colleges

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — This year will be the final season for Harford Community College's men's and women's tennis programs.

School officials made the decision to cut the tennis programs after noticing a decline in participation by Maryland community colleges in recent years and at other institutions in the Northeast.

"The sport has become increasingly regional within the NJCAA, with our nearest Division I competition located in South Carolina. Most competitive opportunities now lie in the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest regions," said Harford Athletic Director Ed Liesch. "Financial constraints and the lack of participation from Harford County students have made it difficult to continue to offer the sport. We are not providing a robust college experience for our tennis student-athletes. Due to the lack of region and district competition in our area, our tennis players are not eligible for the regional or NJCAA awards and accolades that our student-athletes in other sports are."

Harford Community College will replace its tennis programs with an esports initiative, school leaders said, which is a growing sector that has become a billion-dollar industry.