STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford beach volleyball announced today that it will join the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation beginning with the 2025 season.
"The MPSF is extremely excited to provide beach volleyball student-athletes an incredible conference experience on the west coast," says MPSF Chair and Grand Canyon Senior Associate Athletics Director Tim Baron. "We look forward to working alongside the athletic directors, administrators, coaches and student-athletes of these distinguished universities."
With the addition of beach volleyball for the 2025 season, the MPSF now has a record 12 active sports. Beach volleyball is the third sport in the last two calendar years to be added to the conference.
The inaugural MPSF Beach Volleyball season will feature the Cardinal, Grand Canyon, Oregon, California, UCLA, USC and Washington. All but Grand Canyon are entering their final season with the Pac-12 Conference. Starting in 2025, the Cardinal will compete in the MPSF in seven sports - more than any other university.
"We are thrilled for our student-athletes to compete as a member of the MPSF starting in 2025," stated Jaquish & Kenninger Director of Athletics Bernard Muir. "Stanford has enjoyed a storied tradition and long-standing affiliation with the MPSF in many Olympic sports dating back 30 years, making this move such a natural fit. Our beach volleyball program has continued to steadily improve in recent seasons and membership in the MPSF will help maintain our national standing, preserve important rivalries, and position us to compete against the country's most elite teams."
The inaugural MPSF Beach Volleyball Championship Tournament is scheduled for April 2025, with the specific dates and location to be determined. The 2025 NCAA Championship Tournament will be held May 2-4 in Huntington Beach, California for the first time.
"We are thrilled to be joining the MPSF," noted Stanford beach volleyball's head coach Andrew Fuller. The competition between the amazing West Coast programs will help the continuing excellence and growth of collegiate beach volleyball. Above all I'm ecstatic that we'll be able to provide our student-athletes with the absolute highest level of competition.
Stanford beach volleyball enters its 11th season in 2024, with the program steadily growing into a national powerhouse throughout the past five years. With the program's first-ever win over UCLA and its first win at the NCAA Championships, Stanford carried on its longtime legacy of excellence in its most recent campaign. The Cardinal ended its 2023 schedule with a 29-13 record, smashing its previous record of 24 wins in a single season (2022 season).