It’s opening day for NCAA collegiate beach volleyball!

There are a number of key events featuring ranked teams, including the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic and the Beach Burg Invitational, over the weekend that will allow teams to get an early look at where they stand.

The sport continues to enjoy a surge in popularity, thanks to an ever-increasing number of participants, coverage, and visibility. Attendance and viewership figures for the NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship rose again in 2024, and the 2025 event—recently relocated from Huntington Beach back to Gulf Shores due to the California wildfires—should continue the trend.

Another milestone to be celebrated is that the number of NCAA beach volleyball programs tops 100 for the first time in 2025.

Since the inaugural season of NCAA beach volleyball in 2012, which included 15 participating programs, the sport has seen steady growth and has been creeping up on the century mark the past couple of years. With the addition of five new schools—Sam Houston State, Salem, South Florida, Southern Virginia, and Vanguard— to the NCAA ranks this season, that pushes the number above 100.

As you get ready to enjoy the action, check out the preseason AVCA Beach Poll.