NAIA Makes Women’s Beach Volleyball a Championship Sport

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI (August 17, 2026) — The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has approved Women’s Beach Volleyball as the association’s 31st championship sport, beginning with the 2027 season.

“Women’s beach volleyball has continued to grow across our membership since the NAIA first identified it as an emerging sport in 2018,” said Austin Bennett, NAIA Vice President of Championships. “Reaching championship status is an exciting next step for the sport and, most importantly, for the student-athletes and coaches who have helped build it within the NAIA. We look forward to elevating the postseason experience and creating the championship moments that our membership deserves. We are excited to recognize this sport and provide these student-athletes with an opportunity to compete for a Red Banner in 2027.”

The inaugural NAIA Women’s Beach Volleyball National Championship will be held April 22-24, 2027, at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Arizona.

The move to championship status marks the latest milestone in the continued growth of women’s beach volleyball within the NAIA. The sport was first recognized as an emerging sport at the 2018 NAIA National Convention before being elevated to invitational status for the 2021-22 academic year.

The NAIA conducted its first Women’s Beach Volleyball Invitational in 2022 and has held a postseason event each year since. The 2026 invitational in Mesa marked the fifth edition of the event. For the upcoming 2027 season, 32 NAIA member institutions have declared women’s beach volleyball as a varsity sport.