National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Jan 16, 2010 3:13:17 PM

ATLANTA – When Division I debated whether to approve sand volleyball as an emerging sport for women, opponents to the measure argued that they didn't know enough about the framework of the sport. Now that Division I turned back an appeal to override the emerging sport, members can perhaps look to Division II to begin shaping it.

That's because Division II at its business session Saturday approved playing and practice season and financial aid parameters for sand volleyball.

Under terms of the proposal, the playing and practice season for sand volleyball mirrors that of other spring sports (it was determined early on that the sand game would be played in the spring so as to not compete with the hard-court version).

Institutions and student-athletes may participate in a maximum of 16 dates of competition during the championship segment and four during the nonchampionship segment. The minimum-contest and sport-sponsorship requirements are written in a manner designed to establish sand volleyball as a separate and distinct sport from indoor volleyball.

To count sand volleyball as a sport for sport-sponsorship purposes, an institution must play three or more dual-meet contests in which all five two-person teams participate. An additional option to meet the eight-contest minimum for sport-sponsorship would allow an institution to participate in tournaments where all five two-person teams compete and a team champion is crowned.

The proposal also creates what is called a "hierarchy" financial aid model in which any student-athlete who receives athletics aid and participates in sand volleyball and hard-court volleyball would count against the volleyball equivalency, regardless of how the financial aid agreement is written.

"That eliminates the possibility that institutions could offer sand volleyball financial aid to student-athletes who are primarily volleyball student-athletes," said Eckerd College Athletics Director Bob Fortosis, who as a member of the Division II Management Council spoke in favor of the proposal on the Convention floor.

In addition, the proposal establishes a maximum equivalency of five for sand volleyball.

"It is important to note that adoption of this proposal does not require institutions to sponsor sand volleyball at the varsity level," Fortosis said. "Institutions have the discretion to determine if sand volleyball is a viable option for their athletics program.

"This proposal simply establishes the legislation for the sport."

That may be a welcome addition not only for Division II but also for Division I.