Sand volleyball is on a list of sports hoping to reach the Division I ranks. The sport has been waiting for some time, with opinion in college athletics circles strongly divided over whether it should be allowed or not. The debate had calmed down recently—until now.
Sand volleyball is back on the minds of the NCAA, the New York Times reports. There will be a vote tomorrow on a measure that could knock the sport off any lists for consideration for Division I varsity status. All members of the Big Ten Conference plus Duke, Stanford, and Clemson are part of a group of 63 schools working to get the sport voted off the NCAA's list.
Colleges against including sand volleyball as a Division I championship sport—usually schools that have indoor volleyball programs—fear that recruiting will be easier for schools that have sand volleyball programs, the report says. The potential vote has sparked conflicts between schools in the Midwest and in northern states and schools in warmer climates.
"The desire is there, the love of the sport is there, and the time has come to develop sand volleyball," Kerri Walsh ,Olympic gold medalist and sand volleyball champion, tells the Times. "I think people are stuck in their traditions, and change is difficult when you're stuck in those traditions."
Opponents of the sport also worry about resources and the cost of adding another sport to athletic departments' list of responsibilities, especially with the economic troubles many universities are facing. But proponents say new programs would create scholarships and a pipeline of talent for the United States' Olympic and professional teams.
There is a third group that argues that voting tomorrow is too hasty, saying that it's better to debate the topic and come to a compromise than quickly vote on it. We'll find out tomorrow what the NCAA does.
Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of America's Best Colleges.
Reader Comments Read all comments (1)
Steave of AL 5:01PM March 09, 2010