The site, date and format for the upcoming 2024 Big West Beach Volleyball Championship has been finalized following the recent Big West fall meetings.
The modernization of The Big West Championship will allow for the best possible student-athlete experience for all participants. The adjusted format and schedule ensures every participant has the opportunity to play at their peak performance level with ample rest between matches. The thoughtful approach to seeding and bracket style with the addition of pool play will also see more teams advance to the second day of competition.
Hosted by Long Beach State, the 2024 Championship event is set to take place on the courts at Long Beach City Community College on April 25-26.
The new Championship format sees an updated methodology of seeding which creates an index to seed the field with takes each institution's winning percentage as well as their opponent winning percentage into account in the formula.
Previously held on Friday and Saturday, the one-day shift ahead on the calendar with a Thursday start allows for The Big West champion and National Collegiate Championship automatic qualifier to be determined under the Friday night lights. This schedule adjustment also affords the NCAA committee ample time to consider all Big West teams for inclusion on the national stage.
The Championship will feature all seven competitors converging on the courts in a revamped format. The first day of the event will see every team in action in modified pool play. After Day 1, the field will be narrowed to six and a single-elimination bracket will commence for Day 2 to crown The Big West champion.
Pool A sees teams seeded 2, 3, 6 and 7 compete against each other on Thursday, April 25. The No. 3 seed will open play against the No. 6 seed, and the No. 2 seed competes against the No. 7 team with the Pool A winners playing each other for first and second in the pool. The other two teams in the pool will then compete against each other to determine the final team who will advance to the second day of competition.
The three teams in Pool B - seeded No. 1, 4 and 5 – will square off in a round robin on Thursday to determine positioning for Friday's single-elimination bracket. The winners from both pools will earn a bye to the Championship semifinals.
The 2024 National Collegiate Championship is set for May 3-5 in Gulf Shores, Ala., which has been the site of the Championship since its Then in 2025, all eyes will turn to Huntington Beach, Calif., as Long Beach State plays host to the national event in 2026 and '27.