NCAA Beach Volleyball Returns to Gulf Shores

Posted by Rachel Kelly on Thursday, May 3rd, 2018 at 4:22pm.

The 2018 NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championships in beautiful and sunny Gulf Shores, Alabama

Gulf Shores is gearing up for the return of the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships taking place this Friday through Sunday.  The collegiate teams from all over the U.S. will compete at the main public beaches at Gulf Place on the sugar-white beaches with the Gulf of Mexico serving as a beautiful backdrop.  This family-friendly event is hosted by the City of Gulf Shores, Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  Out of 69 NCAA institutions, a total of eight teams were selected from around the country and include Florida International University, Pepperdine, University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, University of Hawaii, Louisiana State University, Florida State, and University of South Carolina.  Southern California has already claimed the championship titles for 2016 and 2017 and are back to keep the winning streak going! ESPN will be onsite broadcasting the event live on networks ESPNU and ESPN2.

The event is open to the public and tickets are available for purchase onsite at the box office which opens at 7:00AM each day.  General admission day tickets can be purchased for $20 each and general admission weekend passes for $45.  Courtside tickets cost $30 per day or $75 for the weekend and seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  In addition, the NCAA Experience All-Sessions tickets will be available for $200 per person and includes seating on a shaded, elevated platform with complimentary snacks, water, Coca-Cola beverages, and access to a full-service cash bar.

This popular event comes just after the ribbon-cutting ceremony held by the City of Gulf Shores in celebration of completing the first two phases of the Gulf Place Revitalization Project.  The $15 million renovation is part of a multi-step plan to enhance the main public beach areas and create a more pedestrian-friendly district with better traffic flow.  Some of the improvements include a new 20-feet wide beachfront promenade, remodeled public restrooms, installation of shade structures and seating, expanded parking area, and safer pedestrian crossings to the beach.


NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship Schedule

All Times Are Approximate and Local Time (CT)

Friday, May 4th

8:00AM - Gates Open to Public
9:00AM - DUAL 1: No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 8 Florida International
10:00AM - DUAL 2: No. 5 USC vs. No. 4 Florida State
11:00AM - DUAL 3: No. 3 Hawaii vs. No. 6 South Carolina
12:00PM - DUAL 4: No. 7 LSU vs. No. 2 Pepperdine
1:00PM - DUAL 5: Elimination bracket, Teams TBD
2:00PM - DUAL 6: Elimination bracket, Teams TBD
3:00PM - DUAL 7: Second round, Teams TBD
4:00PM - DUAL 8: Second round, Teams TBD 
7:00PM - Site Closes

Saturday, May 5th

12:00PM - Gates Open to Public
1:00PM - DUAL 9: Elimination bracket second round, Teams TBD
2:10PM - DUAL 10: Elimination bracket second round, Teams TBD
3:00PM - DUAL 11: Third round, Teams TBD
4:00PM - DUAL 12: Elimination bracket third round, Teams TBD
7:00PM - Site Closes

Sunday, May 6th

9:00AM - Gates Open to Public
10:30AM - DUAL 13: Elimination bracket final, Teams TBD
1:00PM: CHAMPIONSHIP DUAL, Teams TBD


 Helpful Information and Links

The tournament has grown over the last year and this year's event is sprawled out on acres and acres of prime real estate in downtown Gulf Shores, AL.  For information on the immediate area, such as the closest condos to the tournament, our aerial imagery and videos are great tools to gather perspective of the downtown Gulf Shores area.  Find specific Gulf Place info with the actual plans the city is using to redo the entire Hangout area along with aerial imagery of nearby Gulf Shores condos and just a few miles eastward, we've created the same aerial videos with labels for the Orange Beach condos.  Looking for the perfect place to eat while visiting the beaches?  Our local restaurant menus page features every local restaurant's menu in one place for browsing the area's coastal cuisine.

For actual event info and scheduled games, times and tournament info, visit the 2018 NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championships

We've also published plenty of information for area attractions and things to do in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area.  Check out the "Local Info" link atop CondoInvestment.com for a variety of helpful info, like the Gulf State Park with Lake Shelby, the Gulf Shores State Fishing Pier and the State Park golf course and other great features of this area which is a short distance from the NCAA tournament.

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