Just how big is volleyball in the US?

Back in 2013 the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) put together a set of info graphics which shows how big women’s collegiate volleyball is in the States. That’s both in terms of teams and scholarship funding. Here’s what the structure looks like.

US Womens Volleyball Team Counts

You’ll notice there were some cut-paste issue with the NCAA Division numbers. The actual D1 number is closest to correct. As of the 2017 season, there were 334 teams in Division I, 297 teams in Division II, and 444 in Division III. It was 222 for NAIA. And here’s a tweet from the NCAA with a comparison of team and athlete counts between 2017-18 and 1981-82.

The NCAA and NAIA both comprise of 4-year colleges and universities.

Alas, men’s volleyball is only a fraction of the size of the women’s game. The whole list currently can fit on a single Wikipedia page.

To read my comparison of NCAA volleyball to professional volleyball, check out my series of posts starting here.

6 Steps to Better Practices - Free Guide

Subscribe to my weekly newsletter today and get this free guide to making your practices the best, along with loads more coaching tips and information.

No spam ever. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by Kit

John Forman

John is currently the Strategic Manager for Talent (oversees the national teams) and Indoor Performance Director for Volleyball England. His 20+ years of volleyball coaching experience includes all three NCAA divisions, plus Junior College, in the US; university and club teams in the UK; professional coaching in Sweden; and both coaching and club management at the Juniors level. He's also been a visiting coach at national team, professional club, and juniors programs in several countries.

Please share your own ideas and opinions.

Latest Posts