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Women's sport would be known as 'sand volleyball' . There is no question that the AVP Johnsonville Hot Winter Nights Tour visits cities that are not normally associated with beach volleyball. The indoor tour gives fans at each stop the rare opportunity to experience a sport that is normally enjoyed by fans living by the beach.

However, beach volleyball could soon become a more frequent event in these landlocked cities, as the NCAA is considering adding it as a women's collegiate sport. The idea of bringing the sport to the college level is still in its early stages, but it is possible that athletes could be representing their schools on the sand as early as Spring 2011. While the game will remain the same at the college level, one thing that will change is the name of the sport. The NCAA has decided to adopt the sport under the name "sand volleyball," a departure from the traditional term "beach volleyball." The reason for the change is to broaden the appeal of the sport to schools in non-coastal areas, which do not have access to a beach but could easily install sand courts.

This January, NCAA Divisions I and II will vote on adding sand volleyball to the list of emerging sports for women's collegiate athletics. If added to the list, sand volleyball would become a sanctioned sport but would not immediately qualify for its own NCAA national championship. In order to qualify for an NCAA championship, a sport must have at least 40 participating schools, which would likely take a few seasons to establish. Although sand volleyball may start off small, the potential to grow it into a dominant NCAA sport is huge, as college athletes are no strangers to the sand.

The last few years have seen the emergence of several beach volleyball events geared directly toward college volleyball players. Events such as the Collegiate Nationals provided college athletes the opportunity to compete in lifestyle sports such as beach volleyball. In its third year, the event has proven to be quite a hit as many of the top NCAA women's indoor programs send their athletes to compete. Additionally, many junior club and college-level teams frequently supplement their normal practices with beach volleyball as a way to provide a unique aspect of training. It remains unclear as to the format that would be used in sand volleyball were it approved.

Since beach volleyball is traditionally played in teams of two, the NCAA would be faced with the challenge of creating a format that would allow schools to field larger rosters. It is likely that a format similar to the one used in doubles tennis would be adopted -- five ranked teams competing in match play. While it still uncertain if beach volleyball will be making the move to the college level anytime soon, one thing that is clear is that the 2009 AVP Johnsonville Hot Winter Nights Tour is guaranteed to bring some welcomed heat to the cold winter months ahead. Fans wanting to see some of the best athletes on the sand will have to make sure to catch the tour at one of its 17 nationwide stops.

The AVP Johnsonville Hot Winter Nights Tour takes place in January and February of 2009. For a complete 2009 AVP Johnsonville Hot Winter Nights Tour schedule and tickets, visit http://www.avp.com/hwn. By Kelly O'Rourke / Special to avp.com