April Fools Day is the deadline for cities seeking to host the 2011 College Table Tennis National Championships. That will be the city that will welcome the best collegiate table tennis players around the United States and Canada for dazzling championship competition.

But that April 1, 2010 deadline is really no joke. It's the date that information must be submitted to National Collegiate Table Tennis Association leaders.  NCTTA officials will pick the host city that will woo some 250 players, coaches and fans for four days in April 2011. 

Ladies and gentleman let the bid process begin!

For table tennis lovers, the talk is starting to turn to the 2011 Championships even before the 2010 Championships cranks up in the Milwaukee area April 8-11, 2010. What cities will step forward to bid? 

Despite the current economic downturn, NCTTA officials anticipate a number of cities turning in their bids by the April 1, 2010 deadline. Hosting a table tennis tournament for a few days does have some positive economic impact no matter what the venue.

"The Championships get better every year, so we're expecting bidders on the 2011 Championships to host the best college table tennis event yet!," says the NCTTA's David Del Vecchio. "We're always looking for win-win types of relationships where the College Table Tennis Championships is a great event for the college table tennis community," he says. "It brings recognition, interest and economic impact to the host city." 

College table tennis players, coaches and fans spend money at hotels, restaurants and shopping malls when they come to the Nationals. And host cities hope they bring their credit cards and lots of cold cash and enjoy their stay.

The 2008 and 2009 NCTTA Championships were held in Rochester, Minnesota the city in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes. And by all accounts, Minnesota, while it was pretty chilly, did set a pretty high standard for excellence. And now comes the 54,000-square foot Center Court Sports Complex in the Milwaukee area that hopes to plays its best game as a host city.

Del Vecchio, who serves on the NCTTA board, joins other colleagues who will be sizing up a number of things, as the bids for 2011 come rolling in. 

Among other things, they will require a good non-slip flooring surface, high ceilings, and excellent lighting. Area hotels, transportation, and things to do around the host city are important factors, too, Del Vecchio says.

Recently, NCTTA leaders did some tweaking as they revised many aspects of the bidding process for the championships. Among some of the key dates, NCTTA leaders will make the bid applications public via its forum on its Web site on April 5 and then allow interested parties to have input. On May 10, the NCTTA board will vote and select the host city for the 2011 Championships. In mid-September, the NCTTA will issue a progress report. The organization's site inspection will be by Jan. 15, 2011.

The Championships will include men's and women's singles and doubles events, Paralympic (disabled) singles, men's/coed team, and women's team events. According to NCTTA rules, the same organization cannot host more than two consecutive championships and cannot host more than two championships in a span of four years. 

Joe Wells, the NCTTA vice president, is considered America's expert when it comes to the collegiate table tennis championship bidding process. The Florida resident interacted with all of the different sports commissions and convention and visitor bureaus. He was the point man who handled inquiries pouring in from across the USA.

The revisions to the bid process are now complete. Del Vecchio says he hopes it will "expand the pool of potential bidders and help identify cities and venues that are a good fit.'' 

The College Table Tennis Championships have been held every year since 2000. Other cities have ranged from Columbus, Ohio to Texas and California. What city will be chosen next to host the premiere event in college table tennis?