Big AVP happenings: 8-city league starts in 2024, plus new tour format

The AVP is making a major addition in 2024. A lot of details are obviously still to come, but:

The domestic pro beach volleyball tour announced Monday that the AVP League — eight teams in both genders — will begin in September.

The eight men’s and eight women’s teams will play head-to-head in a regular season that will run 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.

There are also changes to the traditional AVP Tour.

The AVP said it 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.

Before the league begins, the AVP will conduct a player draft in Manhattan Beach next summer.

“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,” said Robert Corvino, the AVP’s new chief operating officer. 

“It builds on the best traditions of the past to create exciting, new opportunities for players and fans in the future.”

In a news release, the AVP quoted Olympic gold-medalist April Ross, who coincidentally  announced this weekend on Instagram that she had husband Josh Riley had her baby, Ross (click here for photos and her IG post).

“The AVP identified an opportunity for evolution, and I’m excited that these changes will position beach volleyball in line with other professional sports,” Ross said. “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.” 

Added her Tokyo Olympic partner Alix Klineman, who also had a baby this year and has returned to the sand: “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.”

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.”