LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY (Jan. 4, 2024) — The NCAA and ESPN announced an agreement that gives the ESPN family of networks the broadcast rights to 40 NCAA championships—21 women’s and 19 men’s events—including the Division II and III Women’s Volleyball Championships. The eight-year contract, which begins Sept. 1, 2024, grants ESPN domestic and international rights to those 40 championships.
“This is a big day for volleyball, as the new agreement will provide more exposure for all of our sport’s NCAA championships,” says Dr. Jaime Gordon, AVCA CEO. “Volleyball is experiencing unprecedented growth, and the momentum that has been building is reflected in expanded coverage that are part of the NCAA-ESPN deal.”
Some volleyball-specific highlights from the official press release include:
- The agreement offers exclusive coverage of all rounds of “marquee NCAA Championships,” including the Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship.
- The championship final of the Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship will be broadcast on ABC.
- The Men’s National Collegiate Volleyball and the Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championships are again part of the ESPN Broadcast package.
- The Division II and Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship finals will be shown on an ESPN platform. Volleyball, football, and men’s and women’s basketball are the only four sports that will be part of the extended coverage for Divisions II and III.
“It is great that the contract includes the men’s and beach championships, as well as adding the Division II and Division III women’s championships to the mix,” says Gordon. “All of those things help expand the structure and can help aid the holistic growth of our sport.”
Click here to see the full release from the NCAA.
