The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- November 9, 1998

Men's Volleyball Committee eyes bracket expansion

Fulfilling a request from the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet, the NCAA Men's Volleyball Committee examined sponsorship trends and possible bracket enhancement options at its annual meeting November 18-20 in San Diego.

The cabinet had asked selected sport committees to recommend ways to enhance championships for long-range planning purposes.

The Men's Volleyball Committee discussed making its championship a six-team tournament played at one site rather than the four-team format currently used to determine the national champion.

The six-team tournament would allow the top two seeds a bye for Wednesday matches, while Thursday's play would decide the contenders for Saturday's final. The committee will suggest an automatic bid for each of the three conferences and three at-large bids to determine the field.

Those ideas will be forwarded to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association to solicit further input.

Final recommendations will be forwarded to the cabinet for its February meeting.

The committee also reviewed the championships selection criteria but elected to maintain the current system.

Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, will be the site for the 2000 championship, pending approval from the Championships/Competition Cabinet. Bids for the 2001 and 2002 championships are due by January 1, 1999.