BUIES CREEK, N.C. – There's no mistaking whose home court it is now.

Campbell University's home for men's and women's tennis was recently resurfaced with bright orange courts surrounded by slate gray, completing a project designed to enhance the student-athlete experience and bring a true home-court feel to the facility.

The project was identified as a priority for new investment as part of University President Dr. William Downs' CampbellNOW fundraising initiative. Downs and the University committed half of the funds necessary for the project, with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and Campbell Athletics supporters helping generate the remaining funds.

"The courts look truly amazing, and I'm excited for our student-athletes to have this major upgrade in time for their 2026-27 season," shared President Downs.  "At a time when colleges and universities across the country are eliminating their tennis programs (22 just last year across all NCAA divisions), Campbell is making a statement by investing directly in the future of Fighting Camel Tennis. I extend my thanks to everyone who has helped us complete the project in such a timely and effective manner."



The resurfacing project also came with a unique Campbell connection.

Matt Magner '00, a former Campbell men's tennis and soccer student-athlete, returned to the Creek with his company, World Class Courts, to resurface the courts he once competed on.

"It's pretty cool to come back and resurface the courts where I not only went to school, but played on under Coach David Johnson, who is still here 27 years later," Magner said. "It's special to me, and it's important that we do a good job and give Campbell a great product. We do a lot of universities and professional tournaments, but obviously this one is more special."

The latest project required extensive repair work before the new Campbell orange could be applied. Magner and his World Class Courts crew repaired approximately 1,200 cracks in the existing courts before applying the new surface.

      

      

"That was the most tedious and difficult part," Magner said. "We had to dig them out, blow all the dirt out, fill them and seal them. From there we gave the entire court a black coating and worked from the middle out with two coats of orange."

While World Class Courts has completed work for several universities and professional tournaments, the orange-colored courts were a first for Magner.

 "A lot of universities are doing their school colors, so it was cool to be able use orange," Magner said.  

Magner competed for two seasons with the Campbell men's tennis program under Coach Johnson. He also played four seasons with men's soccer, appearing in 63 games and scoring nine goals. As a senior in 1999, he earned Atlantic Sun All-Conference honorable mention and All-Academic team honors and was selected as the team's most valuable player.

       Johnson took over the men's tennis program at Campbell in 1999. Nearly three decades later, his relationship with Magner has continued, with his former player returning to help resurface the Nisbet Tennis Center on multiple occasions.

"It's really cool and kind of a neat situation," Johnson said. "Matt has done the courts for us before, and each time he's helped us out and found a way to give back to his alma mater. It's good for him and certainly good for us. It's a win-win on both sides."

With the new courts in place, Johnson sees plenty of benefits for Campbell tennis moving forward.

"Our current players are excited," Johnson said. "Even from a recruiting standpoint, this is an asset. Facilities matter. The end result speaks for itself and the uniqueness of the color contrast gives us a chance to further our brand and create a home-court advantage."

The Nisbet Tennis Center has served as the home of Campbell men's and women's tennis since 1985. The facility has received several upgrades in recent years, including new locker rooms for both programs, additional office space for the coaching staff and a player lounge added during the summer of 2018