University of Utah Discontinues Beach Volleyball Program
End of an Era: Nine Seasons of Competition Comes to a Close
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Magdalena Dabrowski hits the ball for CMU during a match against the University of Utah in 2019.
On April 29, 2025, the University of Utah announced it will discontinue its beach volleyball program after completing nine seasons of competition.
Reasons for Discontinuation
The decision stems from multiple factors, including:
- A shift in athletic conference affiliation.
- The perceived stagnation of beach volleyball’s growth.
- Inadequate home facilities to host championship-level events.
Utah’s Athletic Director, Mark Harlan, emphasized the challenging nature of this choice. He stated, “This was an extremely difficult decision, and we did not arrive at this conclusion without a significant and appropriate amount of thought, consideration and consultation.”
Conference Changes and Their Impact
The University of Utah initially joined the Pac-12 Conference in 2017, during which time its beach volleyball program benefited from a broader pool of competitors. However, transitioning to the Big 12 Conference, which has only three beach volleyball teams, led to difficulties in gaining automatic qualification for the NCAA tournament.
“We looked at the landscape of intercollegiate beach volleyball and the future opportunities of our student-athletes. Currently, there are only 12 beach volleyball programs among power conference institutions,” Harlan noted in a recent release.
Support for Athletes
The program’s closure affects approximately 12 current athletes and several incoming recruits. Harlan assured that the university will assist these athletes during the transition.
To support the impacted student-athletes, the University of Utah pledged to honor existing scholarships until they complete their undergraduate degrees. For those wishing to pursue other opportunities, the school will facilitate finding alternate programs.
Future Allocation of Resources
Scholarship funds previously allocated to the beach volleyball team are set to be redirected to enhance other women’s sports programs within the university.
Season Conclusion
The Utes concluded their last season strong, reaching the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament, marking the end of their beach volleyball journey.
