Originally planned as a permanent site, Athens has hosted the NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships 23 times.

But with more schools building facilities capable of hosting the event, and the seemingly unfair advantage of a powerhouse program playing at home every year, the tournament site is now rotated among various campuses across the country.

This year, however, the tournament is coming home – lasting from the 17th to the 28th of May – and the players and coaches of top-ranked Georgia (26-0, 14-0 SEC) couldn’t be happier.

“Oh God, it means everything,” senior John Isner said.

“I’ve heard stories about the NCAAs here and how the crowd is awesome and the atmosphere is unbelievable. It’s something I’ve been looking to all four years.”

According to head coach Manuel Diaz, playing at one of the finest settings in college tennis also adds to the grandeur of the tournament.

“I think our student-athletes are no different than any other team,” he said. “They all want the best stage for a national championship. And there’s no doubt Imagine being Mark Richt finding out another school’s star player is interested in transferring to Georgia and joining your team during the off season.

Sounds far-fetched, right?

Well, for men’s tennis coach Manuel Diaz and Georgia men’s tennis, a situation of similar unlikeliness became reality prior to the Fall 2006 semester.

Travis Helgeson was a two-time All-American at Texas and the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2006 but decided it was in his best interests to join another program. Georgia was at the top of his list.

“Talking to others, it seemed like it was more of a team here. They were more united,” Helgeson said. “They worked together better, and the way coach sets it up – he runs a program that just seems like it produces players at the end.”

Helgeson said getting used to the move from Austin to Athens was tough, but his teammates made the process much smoother than he originally feared it would be.

“It was a tough transition coming from Texas here as a junior,” Helgeson said. “But it’s been nice. The guys have really been helpful and great. They really embraced me at the beginning.”

And his impact on the team? Well, according to his coach, it couldn’t have gone much better.

“Fantastic,” Diaz said. “He’s just a really positive, hard working guy. He’s really team-oriented and just everything you want in a student-athlete.”

Aside from the added camaraderie, Helgeson’s play has not disappointed either. He is No. 11 in the country and has a 32-5 singles record.

Helgeson and his teammates, having won the SEC regular season and tournament titles, now have just one goal on their agenda: a national title. A pursuit, Helgeson said, that is all he could have hoped for when transferring to Georgia.

“It’s a one of a kind type of opportunity to be on a No. 1 caliber team, and all your opponents are just looking to try and beat you guys. It’s pretty special.”