
Basketball and volleyball are two popular sports in colleges across the United States. While both sports are played throughout the year, their seasons do not typically overlap. Basketball seasons traditionally begin in the fall, with college basketball commencing in November and continuing into the spring. Collegiate volleyball seasons, on the other hand, usually begin in August and end in December for women and start in January, ending in May for men. This difference in scheduling allows student-athletes to diversify their athletic experiences and maintain a focus on their primary sport during its respective peak season.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Collegiate volleyball season for women | Starts in August/September and ends in December |
| Collegiate volleyball season for men | Starts in January and ends in May |
| Collegiate basketball season | Starts in November and ends in spring |
| High school volleyball season | Starts in August and ends in November |
| High school basketball season | Starts in November and ends in February or March |
| Professional volleyball season | Indoor volleyball starts in fall and beach volleyball starts in late spring |
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What You'll Learn

Collegiate volleyball seasons vary by gender
In collegiate volleyball, the women's season generally commences earlier in the academic year, often aligning with the fall semester. This provides female athletes with the opportunity to develop their skills and compete at a high level before the basketball season reaches its mid-season stride. The earlier start also enables teams to work towards decisive competitions, such as the NCAA tournament, which marks the pinnacle of the women's collegiate volleyball season.
On the other hand, men's collegiate volleyball tends to begin in the latter part of the year, with their season taking place during the winter and early spring months. This timing allows male athletes to focus on volleyball while other sports, like basketball, are in their off-season or have concluded. The men's volleyball season builds towards its championship events, which typically occur in May.
The variation in seasons between men's and women's collegiate volleyball provides a strategic approach to athletic programming. It enables volleyball enthusiasts of all genders to participate in the sport at different times, ensuring a continuous presence of volleyball throughout the academic year. This staggered scheduling also helps colleges avoid burnout and overlap stresses for athletes, as they can manage their energy and focus on one sport at a time.
While the majority of athletes compete as the gender assigned at birth, USA Volleyball's Gender Competition Guidelines allow athletes to compete as the gender with which they identify. These guidelines aim to maintain competitive equity and provide flexibility for non-binary and transgender athletes to determine their competition gender in collaboration with the organization. Collegiate volleyball, therefore, not only showcases athletic excellence but also embraces inclusivity and diversity.
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Collegiate volleyball seasons vary by division
Collegiate volleyball seasons vary depending on the division and the gender of the players. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the most well-known governing body of college volleyball, with roughly 1,200 NCAA schools, all four-year schools, self-separated into three levels: Division I, Division II, and Division III.
Division I is the highest level of competition in college volleyball. The women's indoor game is played in the fall, typically from late August or early September to early December, with the NCAA tournament in December. The men's indoor game occurs in the winter and early spring, usually from January to early May. The men's collegiate volleyball championship events culminate in May.
The women's collegiate beach volleyball season occurs in late winter and spring, typically from February to early May. Men's collegiate beach volleyball is still in its infancy, with only six programs across the nation.
The National Collegiate Volleyball Federation (NCVF) sponsors a national championship for collegiate club teams, with over 400 men's and women's teams competing every April. These teams generally train two to three times per week and compete regionally against other club teams.
Volleyball is a popular sport in colleges and universities across the country, with around 2,000 two- and four-year schools offering intercollegiate volleyball. Collegiate volleyball is a critical part of the pipeline toward international volleyball, with the current US Men's and Women's National Teams comprising solely of current or former collegiate players.
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Collegiate volleyball seasons vary by type (indoor, beach)
Collegiate volleyball seasons vary depending on the type of volleyball played and the gender of the players. The volleyball types include indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, and snow volleyball.
Indoor Volleyball
Collegiate indoor volleyball typically starts in the fall, around early September, and can run through to late spring or early summer the following year. The women's collegiate indoor volleyball season usually begins in late August or early September and ends in early December. The men's season, on the other hand, generally starts in January and concludes in early May.
Beach Volleyball
Collegiate beach volleyball is played during the warmer months, starting in late winter or early spring and continuing until late summer. The women's collegiate beach volleyball season typically runs from February to early May. Men's collegiate beach volleyball programs are relatively new, with only a few institutions offering them.
Snow Volleyball
Snow volleyball is played during the winter season, usually from late December to early March.
The duration of the volleyball season also differs between the professional, collegiate, and high school levels. Collegiate volleyball seasons also vary for men and women, with women's seasons often starting earlier in the year compared to men's seasons.
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Collegiate basketball seasons vary by gender
Collegiate basketball seasons do vary by gender. The seasons also differ between high school, college, and professional levels.
For college basketball, the NCAA commences in November, with "March Madness" bringing the season to its pinnacle in spring. However, the basketball season for women started in 1892 and has since spread globally, with the first recorded game between two college teams occurring in 1894. Today, the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship is popular in the US, and the sport continues to grow internationally.
In contrast, collegiate volleyball seasons vary by gender and level of competition. Women's collegiate indoor volleyball occurs in the fall, typically from late August or early September to early December. The men's collegiate indoor volleyball season occurs in the winter and early spring, usually from January to early May. Collegiate club volleyball teams also compete in a national championship in April.
The timing of these seasons offers athletes a chance to diversify their athletic experiences and maintain focus on their primary sport during its peak season. For example, high school volleyball athletes play from August to November, transitioning smoothly into basketball season.
While collegiate basketball seasons vary by gender, both men's and women's basketball seasons traditionally begin in the fall, with professional leagues like the NBA starting their regular season in October. Collegiate volleyball seasons also vary, with women's volleyball starting earlier in the fall and men's volleyball occurring in the winter and early spring.
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Collegiate basketball seasons vary by division
Collegiate basketball seasons do vary depending on the division. The college basketball season typically follows a consistent annual schedule, with the regular season beginning in early November and continuing through early March. After this, teams compete in conference tournaments, and then potentially in the NCAA Division I tournaments, which are commonly referred to as "March Madness". This can extend into early April.
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament is considered to be the most prestigious showcase for college basketball. However, the NAIA Men's Basketball National Championship has been held annually since 1937 (bar 1944 and 2020) to crown a national champion for smaller colleges and universities. This tournament features only 32 teams and is contested in just one week.
The NAIA has also sponsored a Division II championship, similar to the NCAA Division I and II. There is also an NAIA Women's Basketball Championship, which was split into Divisions I and II in the 2019-20 season.
The college basketball season requires a significant time commitment from athletes, who dedicate as much as 40 hours a week to their sport during peak times. Collegiate volleyball also has a similar schedule, with the women's indoor season starting in August and stretching to December, culminating in the NCAA tournament. The men's collegiate volleyball season starts in January and ends in May with their championship events.
Collegiate volleyball is a critical part of the pipeline toward international volleyball. The US Men's and Women's National Teams are made up of current or former collegiate players, and USA Volleyball sponsors Collegiate National Teams to help top college athletes compete internationally. Collegiate volleyball is a popular sport, with around 2,000 two- and four-year schools offering intercollegiate volleyball.
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Frequently asked questions
No, college volleyball and basketball are not played in the same season. Basketball seasons traditionally begin in the fall, with college basketball starting in November. Volleyball seasons vary between the professional, collegiate, and high school levels. Collegiate volleyball typically starts in August and ends in December or May, depending on whether it's the women's or men's team.
The college volleyball season typically starts in August or September, with women's teams starting earlier than men's teams.
The college basketball season starts in November.
Yes, collegiate volleyball spans various divisions and conferences, each with its own schedules and rules. Preseason for volleyball usually starts a few weeks before the regular season, and includes practices, exhibition matches, and early-season tournaments.











































