BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – Thanks to the generosity of two deeply entrenched "Michaels" in the Binghamton tennis program, the University held its formal dedication of the Lane-Starke Tennis Center on Sept. 21.

In a ceremony attended by members of both BU tennis programs, University officials, board members and local tennis enthusiasts, the facility was renamed in honor of former BU standout Michael Lane '89 and longtime BU coach and former Binghamton Tennis Center owner Michael Starke.

The University purchased the facility in June 2022 and has expanded its footprint to include nine brand new outdoor courts and six refurbished indoor courts, fit for championship competition and year-round practice. The expansive and picturesque facility is located less than five miles from campus, atop a hill overlooking much of the Southern Tier.

Lane, and his wife, Lisa '91, have been generous contributors to the tennis programs. Michael was a four-year standout on BU tennis teams that captured back-to-back State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) titles. Lane serves on the Binghamton University Foundation Board of Directors, has been a guest lecturer in the School of Management, a networking panelist on campus and has been a key contributor to tennis scholarship initiatives.

Lane spoke about his long history with the University and his former coach with a speech that was equal parts insightful, humorous and emotional.

"This isn't about me … it's about us and celebrating what we have," Lane said. "The best decision of my life was to come to Binghamton. I gained so much confidence through the lessons learned in tennis. But it was important to me that this facility include the name of someone who is very special to me … someone special to the school and the community … Michael Starke. He saw things in me that I didn't see and he never lost faith in me. It was an absolute 'no-brainer' that we should have Michael's name next to mine.

"Coaches are so important to their student-athletes," Lane continued. "They make a bigger impact than any other person on campus. The responsibility they have is so deep and we all thank you. The University will be a great steward of this club for the community and I couldn't be happier. This is our facility and our opportunity to embrace this and continue to make it better for the University and community."   

Starke is a Hall of Fame member who coached the BU tennis program for 20 years. He produced 10 All-Americans and his teams claimed five conference titles, advanced to the NCAAs seven times and won at a 67 percent clip. Starke, who won 246 matches, held the niche of being a conference Coach of the Year at all three NCAA levels. He previously owned and operated the Binghamton Tennis Center for decades, when it served as the indoor home for the BU men's and women's tennis teams.

"I want to thank Michael and his wife Lisa because this took a lot of faith," University President Harvey Stenger said. "We had an opportunity to acquire this tennis center and this is beautiful with its view of the mountains in the background. His gift made it possible to think at this level … to have a facility so close to campus that our teams could play at 12 months a year."  

The acquisition of the facility, along with the acceptance of both the men's and women's tennis teams in the Northeast Conference, creates a fresh breath of energy and optimism for the Bearcat programs who are not long removed from being elite programs in the America East Conference.

"What a great day to be a Bearcat," Director of Athletics Eugene Marshall, Jr. said. "This puts us in a place to be a destination for recruits. This is part of building our "Bearcat Championship Culture" … of providing an environment where our Bearcat student-athletes can succeed. It shows our commitment to our tennis programs. It took a lot of work and we are thankful to both Michael Lane and Michael Starke."