The AVP, the premier U.S. pro beach volleyball league, announces an expansion and evolution with the creation of the AVP League, a professional beach volleyball league. The AVP League will feature eight teams with equality for both men and women in competition and compensation.

Beginning in September 2024, shortly after the 2024 Summer Olympics, the AVP League will launch with eight founding teams playing head-to-head in a regular season spanning September through November. Each team will be based in a home market – including Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, Brooklyn, Miami, Palm Beach, Dallas and Austin – and have one starting men’s team and one starting women’s team. The top overall teams will then participate in an end-of-season playoff tournament and championship match.

Prior to the inaugural 2024 season, there will be a player draft in Manhattan Beach.

“The introduction of the AVP League is a transformational change for the sport of volleyball and the AVP, which has grown continually for 40 years,” says Robert Corvino, Chief Operating Officer of the AVP. “It builds on the best traditions of the past to create exciting, new opportunities for players and fans in the future.”

“The AVP identified an opportunity for evolution, and I’m excited that these changes will position beach volleyball in line with other professional sports. The goal is always to grow the sport to create more opportunities for athletes, and ensure success for our domestic organization and I know the AVP League will do just that,” said three-time Olympic medalist April Ross.

“I appreciate the AVP’s eagerness to listen to the players and work to provide a format that benefits them and advance the growth of the sport,” said Olympic gold medalist Alix Klineman.

Olympic hopeful Andy Benesh added, “I’m very excited about the new direction and plan for the AVP. The league is the revamp the players and fans have been looking for and will definitely bring a new element to our sport."

In addition to the new League, AVP is reimagining its traditional two-player team tournaments into the AVP Heritage Series. Next season’s AVP Heritage Series will host multiple weekend-long tournaments in major cities across the country, including Southern California, Miami and Chicago.

 

Source:businesswire.com

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