University of Utah Drops Beach Volleyball as Varsity Sport Amid Conference Changes
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The University of Utah has announced the discontinuation of its beach volleyball program, which has been a varsity sport for eight years. This decision comes in light of recent conference realignments affecting the landscape of collegiate sports.
Introduced in 2017 during Utah’s tenure in the Pac-12 Conference, beach volleyball was part of a growing athletic initiative as nine schools from the Pac-12 had programs at the time. However, with most of those institutions migrating to conferences like the Big Ten, ACC, and Big 12, Utah now finds itself in the Big 12, where only three beach volleyball programs currently exist. Notably, the Big 12 does not offer an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for beach volleyball champions, complicating competitive opportunities for Utah’s athletes.
Athletics director Mark Harlan shared that the decision was immensely challenging and stemmed from an assessment of the future opportunities available for student-athletes in beach volleyball. He described the sport’s growth at the collegiate level as "stunted," with only 12 power-conference schools sponsoring teams and limited evidence of expansion.
Utah’s athletic department committed to supporting current student-athletes affected by this change, promising to honor scholarships for those wishing to continue their education at the university. Harlan also expressed that those interested in pursuing their sport elsewhere will receive assistance in the transition process. The funds previously allocated for the beach volleyball program will be redirected to bolster other women’s sports within the athletic department.
With this move, Utah will now sponsor a total of 19 intercollegiate sports programs in the coming academic year.
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