By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
For decades, the tennis teams at Barton Community College have featured players from around the state, the country, and the world. Those programs are coming to an close. School administration recently made the decision to end the tennis programs at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.
“Program reviews are conducted across all campus programming, including Athletics, at Barton Community College regularly to review viability, sustainability, and financial feasibility related to the institution's well-being,” said BCC Chief Communications Officer Amanda Staab. “There has been a significant shift in NJCAA member institutions’ participation in Div I tennis, with only nine teams remaining nationally.
“Barton currently participates in all NJCAA sports it sponsors at the Div I level. Additionally, as sports programming evolves at Barton, the priorities for already limited practice and training space change. Barton’s current outdoor tennis facility is in disrepair, and a new facility is needed, which would require a significant financial commitment from the college moving forward.”
The 2025 men’s team is coming off a runner-up finish at the national tournament, tying the 2001 and 2002 squads for the highest finish in school history. Any current Barton student athlete currently on a tennis scholarship, and with remaining NJCAA eligibility, will receive the same scholarship for one more year if they choose to stay at Barton.
Last October, Barton announced the addition of a new women’s wrestling program. With the loss of the tennis programs, the college will operate with 22 teams next year.
“As we continue to review our academic and athletic programs, we’re always looking for ways to better serve our students,” Staab said. “Girl’s wrestling is one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the state, and this is a natural move to create more opportunities for local and in-state student-athletes.
“As announced this past fall, Barton is adding women’s wrestling to our athletics offerings. Barton joins a growing group of Kansas community colleges investing in women’s wrestling, including Colby Community College, Fort Hays Tech Northwest, and Garden City Community College.”
At this time, the college has no plans to renovate the existing outdoor tennis courts outside the Kirkman Center.
“The existing tennis court complex is nearing the end of its usable life and would require a full replacement to remain in service, with estimated costs near $1 million,” said Staab. “In the meantime, students continue to have access to an additional outdoor tennis and basketball area near the residence halls; however, this space is not designed for competitive play or to host events.”
There are currently eight men and seven women on the Barton tennis rosters. The new women’s wrestling program is expected to increase full-time enrollment at the school by 20-30 students.