The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is delighted to host the fifth annual Pairs National Championship for women’s collegiate beach volleyball pairs November 6–8, 2026 in Huntsville, Alabama. In addition to this event, the AVCA has established sanctioned zonal events that award entry bids to the Pairs National Championship. A maximum of three events per zone (East, Central, West) will be confirmed. There are two categories of events that award bids to the Pairs National Championship: Bid Tournaments and Qualification Tournaments.

Bid Tournament Overview

• Sanction: 1-year
• Events: Two per zone (East, Central, West) to support more local experience
• Format: 16-pair bid bracket over 2 consecutive days
• Bids Awarded: 2 bids per event to the Pairs National Championship

Requirements

• Host must be an AVCA member
• Minimum of 4 courts
• Event dates: September or October 2026 (no AVCA events October 30–November 1, 2026)
• Two-day event with one Bid Bracket of 16 pairs using AVCA-approved format (best of three sets: 21-21-15, NCAA DI rules)
• Seeding based on TruVolley rankings; pools adjusted to avoid two pairs from same school
• Pairs must remain consistent throughout the tournament
• Minimum 2 matches and maximum 3 matches per day per pair
• Bracket must include pairs from at least 6 university programs
• Entry prioritizes one pair per university before additional entries
• Brackets play to place for trickle-down bids
• At least one official per day; ideally one per court
• Hosted on Volleyball Life platform; results completed by October 26, 2026
• AVCA-approved ball required
• Optional Open Bracket allowed onsite if space permits
• Hosts must provide liability insurance listing AVCA as additional insured ($1M per occurrence)

Entry Bids

• Two bids awarded to top finishing eligible pairs
• If bids cannot be accepted or school has max bids, trickle-down applies

Sanctioned Event Details

• Host signs AVCA Host Agreement and pays sanctioning fee of $200 upon acceptance
• Contribution fee: $40 per pair competing in Bid Division (due within one-week post-event)
• Host included in AVCA marketing and press releases
• Event title: “2026 AVCA Collegiate Beach (Zone) Bid Tournament hosted by (Promoter/School)”
• Execute AVCA marketing plan and display provided materials
• AVCA retains media rights; host agrees to accommodate live streaming

Qualification Tournament Overview

• Sanction: 1-year
• Events: One per zone (East, Central, West) for large-scale competition
• Format: 24-pair bid bracket over 2 consecutive days
• Bids Awarded: 3 bids per event to the Pairs National Championship

Requirements

• Host must be an AVCA member
• Minimum of 8 courts
• Event dates: September or October 2026 (no AVCA events October 30–November 1, 2026)
• Two-day event with one Bid Bracket of 24 pairs using AVCA-approved format (best of three sets: 21-21-15, NCAA DI rules)
• Seeding based on TruVolley rankings; pools adjusted to avoid two pairs from same school
• Pairs must remain consistent throughout the tournament
• Minimum 2 matches and maximum 3 matches per day per pair
• Bracket must include pairs from at least 8 university programs
• Entry prioritizes one pair per university before additional entries
• Brackets play to place for trickle-down bids
• At least one official per day; ideally one per court
• Hosted on Volleyball Life platform; results completed by October 26, 2026
• AVCA-approved ball required
• Optional Open Bracket allowed onsite if space permits
• Hosts must provide liability insurance listing AVCA as additional insured ($1M per occurrence)

Entry Bids

• Three bids awarded to top finishing eligible pairs
• If bids cannot be accepted or school has max bids, trickle-down applies

Sanctioned Event Details

• Host signs AVCA Host Agreement and pays sanctioning fee of $300 upon acceptance
• Contribution fee: $40 per pair competing in Bid Division (due within one-week post-event)
• Host included in AVCA marketing and press releases
• Event title: “2026 AVCA Collegiate Beach (Zone) Qualification Tournament hosted by (Promoter/School)”
• Execute AVCA marketing plan and display provided materials
• AVCA retains media rights; host agrees to accommodate live streaming

Application & Selection Timeline

• Applications Open: February 12, 2026
• Deadline: March 5, 2026
• Review & Contact: Mid March 2026
• Host Confirmation: Late March 2026

Next Steps

Interested hosts should:

• Confirm court availability for proposed dates
• Demonstrate ability to meet AVCA standards
• Complete online application by March 5, 2026
• For questions or additional details, contact becca.just@avca.org.

AVCA looks forward to partnering with hosts to deliver high-quality Bid and Qualification Tournaments for the 2026 Women’s Collegiate Beach Pairs National Championship!