WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced its National Administrative Council (NAC) has voted to add beach volleyball as an emerging sport in the 2019-2020 school year.

The announcement came at the NAIA National Convention in West Palm Beach, Fla., which will begin to put the outdoor sport on its radar for future consideration of championship status.

Beach Volleyball has taken-off and is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. It is currently in year four of championship status in the NCAA and has benefited from the support of the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association (AVCA) to bring the sport to national prominence in the collegiate ranks. 16 NAIA institutions are expected to sponsor beach volleyball in the 2019-2020 school year.

The NAIA currently sponsors 28 national championships and three sports in invitational status (minimum 25 institutions sponsoring the sport). Beach volleyball will be the only current emerging sport, which requires a minimum of 15 institutions to sponsor said sport.

For more information on the NAIA, click HERE!

About National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. NAIA members provide more than 65,000 student-athletes with opportunities to play college sports, earn $600 million in scholarships and compete in 26 national championships. www.naia.org | @NAIA