The Drake University men's tennis team will travel to NCAA Championship finalist North Carolina for the first round of the 2018 ITA Kickoff, the ITA announced June 8 following an online draft.
 
The Bulldogs, who are the reigning Missouri Valley Conference championship, will face the Tar Heels on Saturday, Jan. 27, in Chapel Hill, N.C. The following day Drake will face either Michigan or South Carolina.
 
"This four-team group will be especially challenging with UNC just reaching the finals of the NCAA Championships," said Drake head coach Davidson Kozlowski. "We are returning everyone form this year's roster and will be very much looking forward to the opportunity to play this year's NCAA finalist and see what our squad of upperclassman are capable of."
 
North Carolina ended the season ranked No. 3 in the nation after falling to Virginia in the NCAA finals and finishing with a school record 29 wins. The Tar Heels' head coach, Sam Paul, was recently named ITA Coach of the Year and two Tar Heels earned All-America honors with one being named the ITA Freshman of the Year.
 
Michigan finished the 2017 season ranked 17^th in the nation while South Carolina was 21^st.
 
"It's great to be a part of the ITA Kick-off again," Kozlowski said. "This is the sixth-straight year we have been included in this event and will be our second trip to North Carolina. Two years ago, we split our matches in the event and picked up a big win over a top-50 Indiana team."