Did you ever wonder how many men’s college volleyball programs actually exist in this country? Did you ever wonder if Carmen Sandiego even knows where all these programs are located? Did you ever wonder why we don’t see men’s college volleyball on TV with March Madness? Well, I think we know the answer to that third question, so let’s work on the first two.
Men’s college volleyball, (or MCVB) has been slowly but steadily growing in the US over the past two decades. As near as I can tell – and I’m convinced that no one is exactly sure at any given moment of the precise number of programs – there are 159 MCVB programs divided among the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) with 119 programs in three divisions, the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) with 25 programs, and the CCCAA (California Community College Athletic Association) with the remaining 15 programs. These 159 MCVB programs indicate a significant increase from the number of programs in existence twenty years ago.
Division I (DI) is the first faction of NCAA men’s college volleyball and also the centerpiece of it. All of the “big names” like BYU, Penn State, Ohio State, UCLA and USC are found here. But, it is also the smallest faction with only 22 programs, making up just 14% of MCVB programs. The 22 DI programs are divided between three composite conferences formed from a mixture of schools which normally compete in other conferences.
- The EIVA (Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) includes seven DI programs in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
- The MIVA (Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) has five DI programs and four DII programs in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Arizona.
- The MPSF (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) has ten DI programs and two DII programs in Hawai’i, California, and Utah.
As you would expect, DI teams have won all of the championships in the combined National Championship era, although Lewis University from DII did win the coveted National Championship in 2003. However, the 2003 Lewis title was later vacated by the NCAA for rules violations. This on-court supremacy of the DI programs should surprise no one, given the greater financial resources, academic programs, and recruiting capabilities invariably found at the DI schools. Unfortunately the number of DI programs has hovered around twenty for the past two decades, showing little or no growth.
Division II (DII) is the second faction of NCAA men’s college volleyball, and DII programs have shown considerable growth over the past two decades, especially with the incorporation of MCVB into the CCAR (Conference Carolinas). The CCAR encompasses the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, and it is the only MCVB conference composed exclusively of DII programs. Current DII programs comprise 15% of the MCVB total programs and outnumber DI programs, 24 to 22. The CCAR hosts ten DII programs, the MIVA includes four DII programs, and the MPSF sponsors two DII programs while the other eight DII programs are Independent. The DII programs have less strict rules and fewer administrative requirements than their DI counterparts. DII schools also tend to be smaller in size and stature than DI schools.
Division III (DIII) is the third and last faction of men’s college volleyball in the NCAA. It is also far and away the largest portion of MCVB with 73 current programs totaling 46% of all MCVB programs. Virtually all DIII MCVB programs are located in the eastern half of the US, with only two programs (UC-Santa Cruz and Fontbonne) located west of the Mississippi River. DIII does not award athletic scholarships to students, so it is the realm of the true student-athlete. DIII programs have exploded since the NCAA first conducted a separate national DIII championship tournament in 2012. There currently are seven NCAA sanctioned DIII men’s volleyball conferences.
1) CUNYAC (City University of New York Athletic Conference in New York City).
2) CVC (Continental Volleyball Conference in Midwest and East).
3) GNAC (Great Northeast Athletic Conference in New England).
4) NEAC (North Eastern Athletic Conference in the Northeast).
5) NECC (New England Collegiate Conference in New England).
6) Skyline (Skyline Conference in the East).
7) UVC (United Volleyball Conference in the East and Northeast).
Tucked away in southern California and relatively unknown outside the state of California, except maybe to volleyball coaches and aspiring players, the CCCAA Men’s Volleyball Conference is the fourth faction of MCVB. Some of the finest men’s players this country has ever produced have played in this two year college conference, including former Olympic Team members Mike Bright, Gary Sato, Duncan McFarland, Butch May, Bob Ctvrtlik, Pat Powers, Riley Salmon, and the original “Big Red Flat-Top” himself, Steve Timmons. The 15 CCCAA teams compose 9% of MCVB programs and are divided into two divisions that stretch from Santa Barbara to downtown San Diego. The CCCAA does not award athletic scholarships, conference play begins in February and concludes with an eight team state championship tournament in April.
The fifth and final faction of men’s college volleyball is the NAIA and the 25 MCVB programs that compete here. The NAIA is an athletic regulatory organization similar to the NCAA but smaller in size. NAIA programs tend to involve less paperwork and fewer administrative requirements than the NCAA, and the better NAIA programs are the equivalent of NCAA DII programs talent wise. The NAIA awards athletic scholarships, and NAIA men’s volleyball is concentrated in the Midwest, with 19 of the 25 programs located in that region. With 25 programs, the NAIA contingent to MCVB comprises 16% of the total MCVB programs, which is greater than either NCAA DI or NCAA DII separately. NAIA play begins in December and ends with a national tournament in April.
So, we have 159 MCVB programs scattered all over the country in 5 different components. Undoubtedly, this number will change soon and often; it actually changed while I was writing, and even Carmen Sandiego is still confused! Also, as we all know, it is absolutely impossible to appreciate this great sport simply by reading about it. There are ample opportunities all around to watch a men’s college volleyball match. Please take advantage of them and support this great sport. If you want a copy of the list of all 159 MCVB programs, you can find me by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @VBdepot.
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