NCTTA Newsletter
September 2008

Here's what's going on in college table tennis as the 2008-2009 season gets underway. 

The 2008-2009 College Table Tennis Preseason Rankings have been released and feature mainstays as well as teams relatively new to NCTTA. The projected top 4 teams in college table tennis to start the season are veteran squads from Texas Wesleyan (defending National Champions) and Princeton (National Runner-Up), as well as Puerto Rico and Minnesota, each with 3 or less years of NCTTA experience.

Co-Ed Team Ranking

1. Texas Wesleyan
2. Princeton
3. Puerto Rico
4. Minnesota
5. Virginia Tech
6. Columbia
7. Maryland
8. Rutgers
9. Cornell
10. UC San Diego
11. Wisconsin
12. Georgia Tech
13. Ohio State
14. Central Florida
15. Northwestern
16. Buffalo
17. Lindenwood
18. South Carolina
19. Florida State
20. UC Berkeley
21. NYU
22. Johns Hopkins
23. Brown
24. Wichita State
25. James Madison

Membership Requirements
Documents to be completed and submitted by member schools

To join NCTTA and compete in the 2008-2009 Competition Season, every school/club must complete the following steps:

1. Fill out and submit the Online Membership Form.
2. Pay the appropriate membership fee for your school (can be paid online as part of the Online Membership Form).
3. Take the Fall Eligibility Form to your school’s registrar office to have them verify your players’ eligibility and turn it in to your Division Director at the first meet.

Team of the Month: Lindenwood
Lindenwood attracts talent with scholarships

As with many colleges and universities across the United States, athletic and recreational departments are cutting sports programs due to a lack of financial funding for non-revenue generating sports. However at Lindenwood University (home to 45 varsity sports) in Saint Charles, Missouri, they are addng sports programs, most notably of which are the men and women's table tennis teams.

Read on...

New ITTF Glue Ban
Important infomation regarding the new ITTF equipment rules

ITTF has recently changed the equipment regulations with regard to permissible racket coverings (rubber). Effective September 1st, the new rule reads:

"The covering material should be used as it has been authorised by the ITTF without any physical, chemical or other treatment, changing or modifying playing properties, friction, outlook, colour, structure, surface, etc."

Help Grow Women's College Table Tennis
Opportunity to expand the number of women's teams

NCTTA had 31 women's teams compete in NCTTA competition in 2007-2008. We'd like to significantly expand on that number for the 2008-2009 Season. Women's college table tennis is absolutely critical for NCTTA's push to get table tennis recognized as NCAA sport. Any returning school/club that fields a women's team (for the full season) gets a $25 discount on their NCTTA Membership Fees. Forming a women's team is a great way to expand your club and help promote the diversity of college table tennis. Women's teams can qualify for Nationals and compete for a Women's Team Championship (just like co-ed teams). If your club already has a women's team, consider trying to field a women's junior varsity team this season. Do your part to promote and expand women's college table tennis at your school. 

Scholarship Winners Announced
Winners of the National Table Tennis Scholarship

• Enrolled (or enrolling) at a U.S. accredited college or university as a full-time undergraduate student pursuing his or her first degree.

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. High school GPA will be considered for enrolling first-year students.

• Have demonstrated an interest in and commitment to the sport of table tennis

• Has completed the scholarship application form and submitted any supporting documents requested.

Sponsor Corner
New sponsorship deal imminent ...

Coming soon: NCTTA is getting ready to reveal our new League and Championships Equipment Sponsor for the 2008-2009 Season!