The Palouse Derby (Moscow ↔ Pullman)
Idaho and Washington State — two land-grant universities less than ten miles apart — meet each season in a neighboring-rivalry dual that is the region’s marquee college match.
Tennis Clubs in North Central Idaho & the Palouse
North Central Idaho and the Palouse — Moscow, Lewiston, Pullman and Clarkston — is college-tennis country. Three programs across two states anchor the region: the University of Idaho’s Vandals indoors in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome, Washington State’s Cougars eight miles west at Hollingbery Fieldhouse, and NAIA Lewis-Clark State at the LCSC Tennis Center, whose four heated indoor courts are the LC Valley’s only public indoor facility. League and junior play runs through USTA Pacific Northwest on both sides of the state line, and high school tennis answers to two different associations. This guide covers the region’s communities, events, adult leagues, high schools, junior programs and college tennis.
Palouse & LC Valley Tennis Communities
The tennis communities of North Central Idaho and the Palouse — their courts, college programs, leagues and clinics across two states.
12 tennis communities in this regional directory.
| City | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Moscow | Home of the University of Idaho, the state flagship, whose Vandals play indoors in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome — the heart of tennis on the eastern Palouse. |
| Pullman | Just eight miles across the state line, home to Washington State University and Cougar women’s tennis at Hollingbery Fieldhouse. |
| Lewiston | The LC Valley anchor and Idaho’s lowest, warmest city, home to the LCSC Tennis Center — four heated indoor courts and the only public indoor facility in the valley. |
| Clarkston | Lewiston’s twin city across the Snake River, sharing LC Valley league, school and public-court tennis on the Washington side. |
| Grangeville | Idaho County seat on the Camas Prairie, with community and high-school courts serving south-central Idaho’s tennis players. |
| Orofino | Clearwater County town on the Clearwater River, with public and school courts in the timbered river country east of Lewiston. |
| Genesee | Small Latah County Palouse town south of Moscow, with school and community courts amid the rolling wheat country. |
| Potlatch | Historic Latah County mill town north of Moscow, with public and school courts on the northern Palouse. |
| Troy | Latah County Palouse town just east of Moscow, with community and school courts a short drive from the University of Idaho. |
| Kamiah | Clearwater River valley town in Nez Perce country, with public and school courts serving the upriver communities. |
| Cottonwood | Camas Prairie town in Idaho County, with school and community courts between Grangeville and the Lewiston grade. |
| Asotin | Asotin County seat just south of Clarkston along the Snake River, sharing LC Valley public and school-court play. |
Highlighted Tennis Events
The college duals, invitationals and league events that define the regional tennis calendar.
Vandal Invitational
Featured
Moscow, ID
The University of Idaho’s home tournament weekend, contested indoors in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome each winter.
The Palouse Derby
Featured
Moscow / Pullman
Idaho vs. Washington State — the neighboring land-grant rivalry dual and the region’s marquee college tennis match.
USTA Pacific Northwest Leagues
Featured
Bi-state
Adult league play across the Palouse and LC Valley that advances to USTA Pacific Northwest Sectional championships.
LC Valley Junior & UTR Events
Featured
Lewiston, ID
Junior lessons, ladders and UTR-rated play hosted year-round at the indoor LCSC Tennis Center.
Adult Tennis in the Region
League play, tournaments and clinics organized through USTA Pacific Northwest across the Palouse and LC Valley.
Leagues
USTA League Tennis runs through USTA Pacific Northwest, with Adult 18 & Over, 40 & Over and 55 & Over divisions alongside Mixed Doubles and flexible formats — bi-state play across Idaho and eastern Washington.
Local teams advance to USTA Pacific Northwest Sectional championships, with top finishers reaching USTA League Nationals.
View Doubles LeaguesTournaments
Adult tournament play ranges from local club and indoor events at the LCSC Tennis Center to USTA-sanctioned tournaments across NTRP and Open divisions.
Players compete across USTA Pacific Northwest events from 2.5 to 5.0 NTRP, with the region’s indoor courts hosting winter competition.
View TournamentsRegional Hubs
The Palouse — Moscow and Pullman, anchored by two university programs and city-park courts eight miles apart.
The LC Valley — Lewiston and Clarkston, anchored by the LCSC Tennis Center’s four heated indoor courts, the valley’s only public indoor tennis.
View Match PlayDid You Know?
A state line runs straight through this region — and it changes both the college map and the high school calendar. Two highlights:
🎓
Three college programs sit inside one small region: Idaho in Moscow, Washington State eight miles west in Pullman, and NAIA Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston — all three playing home matches indoors.
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High school tennis runs under two associations. Idaho’s IHSAA plays boys and girls together in spring, with a mixed-doubles title; Washington’s WIAA splits girls to fall and boys to spring — a rare three-season calendar in one metro region.
High School Tennis Across Two States
Because the Palouse and LC Valley straddle the state line, high school tennis here runs under two different associations.
On the Idaho side — Moscow, Lewiston, Grangeville and Orofino — high school tennis is governed by the IHSAA and contested in the spring, with boys’ and girls’ singles and doubles plus a distinctive mixed-doubles event, across classifications 6A–1A and district tournaments feeding the state championships. On the Washington side — Pullman, Clarkston and Asotin — the WIAA splits the seasons, with girls’ tennis in the fall and boys’ tennis in the spring, across classifications 4A–1B. The result is a rare two-state, three-season high school tennis calendar within a single metro region.
Beyond the school season, players keep developing through USTA Junior Team Tennis, ladders and UTR-rated events, with the LCSC Tennis Center and the college fieldhouses providing heated indoor courts through winter and the region’s three college programs — Idaho, Washington State and Lewis-Clark State — offering a college pathway close to home. Every public high school serving the region’s tennis communities is listed below.
12 public high schools across the region’s tennis communities, in two states.
| High School | Community | Team | Assoc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moscow High School | Moscow, ID | Bears | IHSAA |
| Lewiston High School | Lewiston, ID | Bengals | IHSAA |
| Grangeville High School | Grangeville, ID | Bulldogs | IHSAA |
| Orofino High School | Orofino, ID | Maniacs | IHSAA |
| Genesee High School | Genesee, ID | Bulldogs | IHSAA |
| Potlatch High School | Potlatch, ID | Loggers | IHSAA |
| Troy High School | Troy, ID | Trojans | IHSAA |
| Kamiah High School | Kamiah, ID | Kubs | IHSAA |
| Prairie High School | Cottonwood, ID | Pirates | IHSAA |
| Pullman High School | Pullman, WA | Greyhounds | WIAA |
| Clarkston High School | Clarkston, WA | Bantams | WIAA |
| Asotin High School | Asotin, WA | Panthers | WIAA |
College Tennis Programs of the Region
Three programs across two states give the Palouse and LC Valley a college-tennis footprint far deeper than the population would suggest.
| Program | Campus | Level | Home Venue | Distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho Vandals | Moscow, ID | NCAA D-I · Big Sky (M & W) | P1FCU Kibbie Dome | State flagship; hosts the Palouse rivalry vs. Washington State |
| Washington State Cougars | Pullman, WA | NCAA D-I · WCC (Pac-12 in 2026–27) (W) | Hollingbery Fieldhouse | 2025 National Invitational Tournament champions |
| Lewis-Clark State Warriors | Lewiston, ID | NAIA · Cascade Conf. (M & W) | LCSC Tennis Center | Rosters drawn from 55+ countries since the program’s start |
Why the Palouse is College-Tennis Country
An eight-mile rivalry, a global NAIA roster, and indoor venues that keep the college game going through winter.
NAIA Power, Global Roster (Lewiston)
Lewis-Clark State’s Warriors have fielded players from more than 55 countries since the program began, training at the historic LCSC Tennis Center, built in 1975 as one of the Pacific Northwest’s earliest indoor college facilities.
Indoor by Necessity (Regionwide)
All three programs play home matches indoors — UI’s Kibbie Dome, WSU’s Hollingbery Fieldhouse and the LCSC Tennis Center — keeping college tennis going through cold Palouse winters.
Deep Footprint for its Size (Two states)
The Big Sky (Idaho), the West Coast Conference and a returning Pac-12 (Washington State) and the Cascade Collegiate Conference (Lewis-Clark State) give this small region an unusually deep college-tennis presence.
Junior Tennis & Development
Indoor courts, college-coached lessons and USTA Pacific Northwest pathways for juniors across the Palouse and LC Valley.
LCSC Tennis Center Junior Program (Lewiston)
Junior lessons, playing groups and ladders at the LC Valley’s only public indoor facility, taught by the college team’s international instructors on four heated courts.
University of Idaho & Moscow Parks (Moscow)
Campus and city-park courts plus Moscow Parks & Recreation youth tennis on the eastern Palouse, a short walk from the Vandal program.
Pullman Parks & WSU Courts (Pullman, WA)
City of Pullman youth tennis and Cougar program camps across the state line, anchoring junior development on the Washington side of the Palouse.
Palouse & Camas Prairie School Courts (Regionwide)
Public and high-school courts in Genesee, Troy, Potlatch, Grangeville, Orofino and the Clearwater Valley towns supply grassroots junior play across the region.
USTA Pacific Northwest Junior Team Tennis (Bi-state)
Sanctioned Junior Team Tennis (JTT), junior tournaments and UTR-rated events organized through USTA Pacific Northwest across Idaho and eastern Washington.
Indoor Winter Training (LC Valley / Palouse)
Heated indoor courts at the LCSC Tennis Center, plus the college fieldhouses, keep junior development on track through the winter months.
USTA Connect Partner
Run more tennis in North Central Idaho & the Palouse — without the overhead.
Tennis Circuits gives local clubs and pros a complete event platform for tournaments, leagues, clinics, camps and match play — free for clubs, built and supported by tennis people.
Tennis People. Tennis Support.
Free for clubs & organizers(949) 649-6449
North Central Idaho & Palouse Tennis Facts
Curious one-line facts about the people, places and history that make tennis in this region unique.
Unlike southern and eastern Idaho, which sit in USTA Intermountain, this region belongs to USTA Pacific Northwest — the same section as Oregon and Washington.
Because the Palouse and the LC Valley straddle the state line, both sides — Pullman, Clarkston and Asotin included — fall cleanly inside one USTA section.
Moscow and Pullman sit about eight miles apart, putting two land-grant universities within a short drive of each other.
The University of Idaho’s Vandals play NCAA Division I tennis indoors in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome.
Washington State’s women play at Hollingbery Fieldhouse and won the 2025 National Invitational Tournament.
Lewis-Clark State’s Warriors have fielded players from more than 55 countries since the program began.
The LCSC Tennis Center was built in 1975, one of the Pacific Northwest’s earliest indoor college tennis facilities.
Its four heated indoor courts are the only public indoor tennis facility in the LC Valley.
Lewiston sits at Idaho’s lowest elevation — a mild, semi-arid “banana belt” with short winters and long outdoor seasons.
The Palouse around Moscow and Pullman runs higher and colder, which is why all three college programs play their home matches indoors.
Idaho’s IHSAA plays boys and girls in one spring season and crowns a mixed-doubles champion; across the line, Washington’s WIAA puts girls in the fall and boys in the spring.
That gives a single metro region a rare two-state, three-season high school tennis calendar.