Imagine Olympic gold medalists Misty May and Kerri Walsh not just playing beach volleyball professionally, but having an opportunity to compete for an NCAA championship as part of their university programs. Is it possible? You betcha.

Both May (Long Beach State) and Walsh (Stanford) won national titles while playing traditional volleyball in college, but together, the duo struck gold in 2004.

A popular Olympic sport and just a lot of fun to watch, beach volleyball has gained a lot of momentum in recent years. A number of schools now have programs in the sport and six collegiate events are scheduled this spring.

The first tournament of the spring is the Sunshine State Collegiate Beach Volleyball Tournament in Tampa on March 29. On April 12, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Coaches Beach Volleyball Tournament will feature teams from Florida, Arkansas, LSU, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi and Mississippi State.

The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics is always exploring emerging sports that could add opportunities for females. Could women’s beach volleyball become an NCAA-sponsored sport in the near future?