"Sand Volleyball" Moves Toward NCAA Recognition

B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: 719-228-6800
BJ.Evans@usav.org

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 24, 2008) – The sport of “sand volleyball,” also known as beach volleyball, took a step toward being recognized by the NCAA, the Association announced Tuesday.

The NCAA’s Committee on Women’s Athletics voted to recommend that a governance entity from each of the divisions sponsor legislation to add sand volleyball to the list of emerging sports for women.

Emerging sports are intended to provide additional athletics opportunities to female student-athletes. It takes 40 institutions to sponsor the sport before it can become an NCAA championship.

USA Volleyball, the U.S. Olympic Committee and the American Volleyball Coaches Association, among others, have all supported the effort to have sand volleyball added to the list of NCAA sports.

The Committee on Women’s Athletics chose to go with the name “sand volleyball” to give it a broader appeal and let people know it is not limited to schools that are near beaches.

“We are delighted by this decision,” said USA Volleyball CEO Doug Beal. “Beach volleyball is quickly increasing in popularity across the country. Not only will this allow more young women to pursue volleyball in college, but it will also increase the talent pool from which we select players to compete at international events.”

Institutions are allowed to use emerging sports to help meet the NCAA minimum sports-sponsorship requirements and also to meet the NCAA’s minimum financial aid awards.

Ali Wood, USA Volleyball’s director of international and high performance beach programs, said USA Volleyball has done a lot to support the effort.

“We have put together reports, attended conference tournaments and contacted coaches, particularly those in the Big West,” Wood said. “I think this is going to give us the impetus to create a coaching certification program for beach volleyball.”

According to a release from the NCAA, the Committee on Women’s Athletics gave its recommendation to move forward with sand volleyball after hearing a presentation by American Volleyball Coaches Association Executive Director Kathy DeBoer and Delaware volleyball coach Bonnie Kenny. The conversation centered on the growth and popularity of the sport.

According to a 2007 report by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, more than 200,000 females participate in the sport, including 32,654 females under the age of 18 in the U.S. who are frequent participants. DeBoer and Kenny said sand volleyball is not currently a high school sport, but the number of girls playing only sand volleyball with frequency in high schools is more than the other emerging sports.

The same research revealed that sand volleyball had increased by 35 percent among core participants since 2006. This compared with only a 2.3 percent increase in the indoor court game.

The committee’s discussion centered on how the sport would add participation opportunities for women at the NCAA level and would the membership enough time to develop appropriate rules for the sport if the proposal is adopted.

In DeBoer and Kenny’s proposal, sand volleyball teams would consist of five doubles teams that would be ranked No. 1 through No. 5 – much like singles and doubles teams in intercollegiate tennis. They would play against the similarly ranked pair from the opposing school. The team winning at least three matches would win the dual competition.

Tags: beach volleyball, NCAA, sand volleyball