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More details on the status of sand volleyball

By Erin Buzuvis, Sudha Setty, and Kristine Newhall

So not too long ago we got wind that sand volleyball was not a shoo-in for emerging sport status; that there were some concerns. But we didn't get a lot of information about the situation. Then I read a piece by Graham Watson at ESPN.com where it seemed that sand volleyball was a go. In email correspondence with her, she told me that things were proceeding as planned, but that were a few details to be ironed out.
Now I have read that a second vote as to whether to approve sand volleyball for the NCAA's emerging sport designation will be taken in January. The second vote (the first was in April) is because there are issues over what exactly sand volleyball will look like--as in will it just be an additional season of indoor volleyball similar to indoor/outdoor track. And whether this is desirable. Also schools with indoor volleyball are concerned that they will lose recruits if they do not or cannot add sand volleyball.
In other words, stay tuned.
My concern, which I could not find echoed anywhere, is over sand volleyball as a revenue producer. Some believe the sport could quickly become a revenue-generating sport. And I think we all know how they intend to get those dollars--all we have to do is look at how sand volleyball and its female athletes are promoted at the Olympic and professional levels.

Full post as published by Title IX Blog on August 10, 2009 (boomark / email).