The tennis courts officially opened Monday Oct. 13, and even though the tennis team has not been able to use them due to the weather conditions the excitement is building up.

When Oakland University used to have a men’s tennis team, the school also had tennis courts located in the lower fields behind the baseball field. At the end of the 1992-93 school year, the men’s tennis team was discontinued and the courts were turned into soccer fields.

“It feels like a recognition by Oakland University,” said Maxime Colen, a junior from the tennis team. “It makes me happy that we can say we have our own tennis courts now.”

The opening of the new tennis courts goes beyond giving the tennis team a space at OU. The courts will be open for the public and also for the use of the tennis club members. The new courts were built on the upper fields next to the track and soccer facilities making them very accessible to the students and the athletes.

“They make the campus complete,” Colen said. “They are located in a great spot.”

“I have been waiting for this moment since I came to Oakland,” said Tamara Blum, also a junior from the tennis team.

Another huge benefit that comes from the opening of this complex is that students will be able to watch the tournaments and competitions of other athletic teams.

For example, the tennis team currently hosts its conference matches in Bloomfield Tennis & Fitness. Having a school competition played at a venue not related to the school reduces the amount of exposure and in turn makes it more difficult to create a fan base.

“With the new tennis courts, students as well as other sports will be more aware of the tennis team and will easily come support and cheer for us,” Blum said.