Sun Belt adding beach volleyball as its 19th sport starting in 2023 season

Published 8:19 am Thursday, January 19, 2023

The Sun Belt Conference will add Beach Volleyball as its 19th sponsored sport, beginning with the 2023 season, Commissioner Keith Gill announced Wednesday.

Four Sun Belt Conference institutions currently sponsor Beach Volleyball – Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, ULM and Southern Miss. In addition, the Sun Belt will welcome affiliate members College of Charleston, Mercer, Stephen F. Austin and UNCW to form the eight-team league. Georgia State is a two-time NCAA Championship participant (2016, 2022) and advanced to the round of six last season.

Beach Volleyball is the fastest-growing sport in the NCAA with nearly 180 participating institutions across all levels of the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA, including 67 NCAA Division I institutions. Conferences that currently sponsor Beach Volleyball include: Atlantic Sun Conference, Big West Conference, Conference USA, Ohio Valley Conference, Pac-12, Southland Conference and West Coast Conference.

Of the 176 institutions that sponsor beach volleyball, 55 of them are located within the contiguous 10-state footprint of the Sun Belt Conference.

“We are pleased and excited to welcome Beach Volleyball as our 19th championship sport,” Gill said. “As the fastest growing collegiate sport, particularly within the footprint of the Sun Belt, it is a perfect fit for our conference. We’re looking forward to providing an elite competitive and championship environment for the student-athletes, coaches and fans of Sun Belt Beach Volleyball.”

In conjunction with the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA), the Sun Belt Conference will co-host a conference championship in 2023. The event is set for April 27-29 at the John Hunt Sand Volleyball Complex in Huntsville, Ala. The winner of the conference championship will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

The 2023 NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship – a 16-team single-elimination event, will take place in Gulf Shores, Ala., May 5-7. The National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship features teams from NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III. It is the 90th and newest NCAA Championship event.

The Sun Belt Conference was founded in 1976 and began sponsoring football in 2001. The Sun Belt will now sponsor 19 NCAA Division I sports annually. The Sun Belt is comprised of 14 member institutions: App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State and Troy.

Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Institutions

Coastal Carolina
Location: Conway, S.C.
First Season of Beach Volleyball: 2016
All-Time Record: 78-78 (.500)
Best Season: 24-8 – 2022
Previous Conference Affiliation: Atlantic Sun (2016-21), Conference USA (2022)
Head Coach: Steve Loeswick (6th Season)

Georgia State
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
First Season of Beach Volleyball: 2013
All-Time Record: 197-94 (.677)
Best Season: 28-13 – 2022 (C-USA Champions, NCAA Round of Six)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2 (2016, 2022)
Best NCAA Finish: Round of Six (2022)
Conference Championships: 1 (2022 – Conference USA)
Previous Conference Affiliations: Independent (2013-15), CCSA (2016-21), Conference USA (2022)
Head Coach: Beth Van Fleet (10th Season)

ULM
Location: Monroe, La.
First Season of Beach Volleyball: 2013
All-Time Record: 112-129 (.465)
Best Season: 15-6 – 2015
Previous Conference Affiliations: Independent (2013-20), CCSA (2021), Conference USA (2022)
Head Coach: Michael Hobson (2nd Season)

Southern Miss
Location: Hattiesburg, Miss.
First Season of Beach Volleyball: 2019
All-Time Record: 38-75 (.336)
Best Season: 5-2 – 2020
Previous Conference Affiliations: CCSA (2019-21), Conference USA (2022)
Head Coach: Shawn Taylor (4th Season)

Sun Belt Conference Beach Volleyball Affiliates

College of Charleston
Location: Charleston, S.C.
First Season of Beach Volleyball: 2012
All-Time Record: 110-97 (.531)
Best Season: 20-4 – 2019
Previous Conference Affiliations: Independent (2012-16), CCSA (2017-21), Atlantic Sun (2022)
Head Coach: Damian Elder (1st Season)

Mercer
Location: Macon, Ga.
First Season of Beach Volleyball: 2012
All-Time Record: 79-153 (.341)
Best Season: 15-12 – 2017
Previous Conference Affiliations: Atlantic Sun (2012-22)
Head Coach: Josh Marsh (4th Season)

Stephen F. Austin
Location: Nacogdoches, Texas
First Season of Beach Volleyball: 2020
All-Time Record: 30-35 (.462)
Best Season: 13-16 – 2022
Previous Conference Affiliations: Southland (2020-21), Atlantic Sun (2022)
Head Coach: Alex Luna (4th Season)

UNCW
Location: Wilmington, N.C.
First Season of Beach Volleyball: 2016
All-Time Record: 78-89 (.467)
Best Season: 25-11 – 2022
Previous Conference Affiliations: Independent (2016), CCSA (2017-21), Atlantic Sun (2022)
Head Coach: Dottie Hampton (3rd Season)

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