| Nazareth played in the Division III invitational
championship last spring. In 2012, the NCAA will add Walnut and
Bronze to the reward. NECVA photo |
The Division III membership voted overwhelmingly to approve a new Division III national championship for the gtowing sport of men's volleyball. The first new men's championship since 1985 passed by a vote of 439-2.
According to a recent NCAA article, 55 schools at the Division III level sponsor men's volleyball. If that number remains eligible for the first NCAA Tournament in 2012, it would equate to a field of eight participants.
The legislation was jointly presented by Zak Ivkovic, the commissioner of the CUNY Athletic Conference, and Joe Walsh, the commissioner of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.
Until now, the only NCAA national championship tournament for which men's D-III schools were eligible was the same one in which Division I and II schools compete.
"We are thrilled for all the student-athletes that are going to be able to compete on a level playing field and glad that all our efforts have paid off," said Ivkovic, whose conference features eight men's volleyball programs.
There are six conferences that support D-III men's volleyball, with more conferences expected to join. The North East Collegiate Volleyball Association has been instrumental in efforts to help grow men's Division III collegiate volleyball, led by the commissioner, the late Mike Ricciardi of Ramapo, and the conference executive director, Gerry Matacotta. Their efforts combined with those from the AVCA and USAV have helped expand opportunities for boys to be able to continue to compete in the sport they love at the collegiate level.
Since 1997, USA Volleyball and the AVCA have co-hosted the Molten Division III Men's Invitational Volleyball Championship, which will be held this year on April 15-16 at Nazareth.
USA Volleyball has supported and encouraged D-III schools to add men's volleyball teams with its grant program, which started in 1991. Since that time, and continuing in 2011, more than $276,000 in grant money has been awarded to more than 40 schools to help them implement new DIII men's volleyball programs.
"The creation of this new NCAA championship is a historic event for volleyball and benefits current and future student-athletes," said Jeff Mosher, USAV coordinator for boys' and men's development. "It represents the continued efforts of the NCAA to expand opportunities for Olympic sports to thrive in colleges across the country. It provides an incentive for both Division III colleges and high schools to increase opportunities for men to play varsity volleyball and enhance the pipeline of athletes eligible for our national and Olympic teams."