DIII Men's Tourney Bracket Could be Bigger than Expected

By Gary Brown
NCAA.org

The first Division III Men’s Volleyball Championship in 2012 is taking shape, and it may already be different from what was announced when the NCAA’s 89th championship was adopted at last month’s Convention.

The Division III Championships Committee discussed the division’s inaugural men’s volleyball championship at its meeting last week and noted that the attraction of competing in an NCAA championship is prompting several schools to consider adding the sport. That could affect sponsorship numbers and, in turn, the size of the first championship.

Sponsorship at the time the championship was approved was enough to accommodate an eight-team field. But several schools already have declared their intent to add the sport since then, causing a bump in the bracket to nine teams. A final determination won’t be made until 2011-12 sponsorship numbers are available in August.

The bracket size could affect the dates of the tournament, as well. The original eight-team field at a single site was scheduled for April 19-21, 2012, but that could change. For example, if the field stays at nine, that could require a preliminary round with either four or eight teams advancing to the finals site. The preliminary date formula is to conduct the finals during the last full weekend in April.

For the complete story, please visit the NCAA.org web site.

Tags: men, men volleyball ncaa, NCAA