The Geography of Men’s College Volleyball

Way back in the fourth grade, I can still remember Sister Mary Catherine teaching all the youngsters about the geography and the state capitals of the United States.  I was confused back then why New York City was not the capital of the state of New York, since, after all, Oklahoma City was the capital of the state of Oklahoma. Actually, I’m still confused why New York City isn’t the capital of the state of New York, but that’s another matter.  Anyway, until recently, I never realized that geography is a useful tool to explain men’s college Volleyball.

There is a saying here in St. Louis which goes, “If you don’t like the weather, stick around for a couple of hours and it will change.”  That phrase epitomizes and perfectly illustrates the status of men’s college Volleyball programs in the US.  At the moment, there are 160 programs; but, don’t try to remember that number because, just like the weather in St. Louis, it will change soon and often.  Table 1 clarifies the size of each division of MCVB while Table 2 explains the geographic locations of MCVB programs.

Looking at these simple tables, then, we can unequivocally see that men’s college Volleyball has shifted to the East and that the smaller programs, particularly DIII, are the growth areas. Hopefully you noticed in a previous post that there is a Canadian team (the University of British Columbia) playing in the NAIA. This international intrigue will lead me to my next post – Canadian college Volleyball.  Enjoy the game!!