AE NCCS National Volleyball Championships
The Truth about the NCCS National Volleyball Championships
Background
Fallacy: The better competition will be at the other event.
The Truth: Actually, that's not the case. On the Men's side, so far NIRSA has received verbal commitments from University of Arizona and University of Colorado, who tied for 5th in last year’s championships. The University of California, San Diego, who placed 18th, and Arizona State, who placed 21st in 2009, also have already committed to NIRSA. We expect to receive more commitments to the NCCS Championships in the coming weeks.
What's more, most of the top women's teams will be competing in Dallas. Last year's runner-up, University of Arizona, has accepted NIRSA's offer to compete in Dallas. Texas A&M, who placed third in 2009, will be joining, as will Women's Division II champion, University of Georgia. Also, The University of Texas at Austin, who has won the national championship four times in the last seven years, will be joining the rest of the best competition in Dallas.
As of December 10, 2009 - four months before the tournament - over 100 schools have expressed their verbal commitment to participate in the 2010 AE NCCS National Volleyball Championships in Dallas. More teams are being added every month. We have no doubt that all players will enjoy a fun, safe, educational, and highly competitive experience in Dallas. In fact, 2010 is shaping up to be our best year ever.
Fallacy: The NIRSA NCCS Tournament is more expensive than the other tournament.
The Truth: The registration fee for the NIRSA NCCS Tournament is $895 for NIRSA Institutional Members and $1305 for a non-NIRSA Institutional Member. About 91 percent of teams who compete at the NCCS tournament are NIRSA Institutional Members, so in most cases the team cost is $895. The other event is charging $900 plus an additional $50 membership fee to USA Volleyball. NIRSA NCCS offers the LOWER PRICED competitive tournament for the vast majority of teams.
Fallacy: My team will only be eligible to play at the NIRSA NCCS Championships if we play two tournaments against teams that support NIRSA.
The Truth: Participation in any recognized league meets NIRSA NCCS eligibility requirements. Teams can also qualify by playing in two tournaments after January 1, with at least 4 teams in attendance.
Fallacy: The NIRSA NCCS National Volleyball Championships doesn’t play by USA Volleyball rules.
The Truth: The NIRSA NCCS Tournament plays by USA Volleyball rules, and always has, with one notable and widely appreciated improvement begun in 2007: it allows the libero to serve in one rotation.
Fallacy: NIRSA may change their tournament rules leading up to the national championships.
The Truth: NIRSA's 2010 entry packet is posted online. It contains complete rules and eligibility requirements that will remain in effect through the 2010 championships and allows teams to plan ahead.
Fallacy: NIRSA has nothing to do with volleyball.
The Truth: Our long history of hosting an outstanding collegiate volleyball club championship says otherwise. The NIRSA NCCS National Volleyball Championships are run by highly qualified NIRSA Member volunteers; the NCCS Volleyball Work Team; NIRSA National Center staff; and a handful of expert volleyball professionals. This is the way it has been for the past 25+ years, and the manner by which we will continue to manage the Volleyball Championships into the future.
Additionally, NIRSA recreational sports professionals train thousands of intramural officials, including volleyball officials, every year. However, it is true that NIRSA is not only about volleyball. Our nearly 4,000 members are about education, student learning, professional development, civil society, sportsmanship, and research. Volleyball is one of many opportunities that NIRSA provides for students.
Fallacy: NIRSA limits the number of teams that can go to nationals.
The Truth: NIRSA has never imposed limits on the growth of its tournament. In fact, NIRSA continues to expand its NCCS National Volleyball Championships each year to accommodate more and more teams that want to attend. Even so, a few teams are sometimes placed on a waiting list due to bracket limitations and late receipt of entry forms. In 2009, we were unable to accommodate only 4 teams.
Fallacy: The NIRSA tournament won't have any officials.
The Truth: The NCCS has outstanding relationships with volleyball officials and has provided countless development opportunities for officials over the years. Sue Mailhot, a USA Volleyball National Referee and certified International Scorekeeper, will serve as Director of Officials in 2010. Sue has worked the Tournament Desk at the NCCS National Volleyball Championships the past 10 years, has 15 years of experience coordinating volleyball officials, and is highly regarded in the field. She, along with Tournament Director Nick Todorovich, are reviewing applications from
officials. Officials must carry a Junior National or National USAV rating in order to work the Championships.
Fallacy: The same people who used to run the NCCS tournament are now running the other tournament.
The Truth: The NCCS National Volleyball Championships are run by NIRSA Member volunteers; the NCCS Volleyball Work Team; NIRSA National Center staff; and a handful of selected volleyball professionals. This is the way it has been in the past and the way we will continue to manage the Championships into the future. Approximately 35 talented NIRSA Members and staff perform tournament scheduling and on-site operational services. To our knowledge, only four individuals previously associated with the NCCS National Volleyball Championships will no longer be associated with the
tournament.
Fallacy: NIRSA changed its name to the NIRSA Services Corporation and is now a for-profit company.
The Truth: All of NIRSA's NCCS sports events (including the National Volleyball Championships), are administered through the NIRSA Services Corporation (NSC), a wholly owned NIRSA subsidiary. The NSC was formed in 1999 by the NIRSA Board of Directors as an important management tool principally in the areas of risk management (especially with sporting events) and sponsored programs, the income on which is taxable. The NSC is governed by a Board of Directors made up of NIRSA Member volunteer leaders. Net revenue generated by the NSC, however small or limited, ultimately helps
the Association fulfill its nonprofit mission and vision. It was smart for NIRSA to establish the NSC in 1999 and remains so today.
Fallacy: The NCCS National Volleyball Championships are a cash cow for NIRSA, and the money goes to support other sports.
The Truth: The NCCS National Volleyball Championships realize a modest profit, which is then used to improve future championships. Using the most recent NCCS tournament as an example, the expense of running the 2009 championships was $334,438. This covers the costs of the convention center, courts, hotel rooms for staff and officials, and many other items. In 2009 we budgeted to make only $1,000 profit based on 244 teams attending. Due to the reputation of the NCCS National Volleyball Championships as 'the place to be' for collegiate volleyball club teams, we allowed more
teams into the championships than originally intended - 294 teams. By meeting the unbudgeted-for demand, we realized a net profit of $8,000, or just 2.3% of net income. As you can see, this is nowhere near the $100,000 profit alleged by some. NIRSA does not "share" monies between NCCS sports events.
Why would we go to the trouble of putting on a tournament if we projected that we'd make only $1,000? Because, although the NSC is the for-profit arm of NIRSA, our sporting events exist for the benefit of the participants and NIRSA Members, not for the purpose of making money.
And what have we done with the extra money (unbudgeted net income)? We've put it back into the championships by 1) expanding the tournament to meet the growing demand, and 2) enhancing the player experience with development opportunities, social events, electronic results station, and more.
Fallacy: NIRSA changed the date of its National Championship to compete against the scheduled date of the other tournament.
The Truth: At the 2009 NCCS Championships in April, NIRSA announced the expected dates of the 2010 Championships. However, in the final stages of negotiations with several potential sites, the available dates at the most attractive location changed. We signed a contract with the Dallas Convention Center on May 29, 2009, and communicated the site and new dates to NIRSA Members and the 2009 Volleyball participants on June 2, 2009. It was not until we received a press release from another organization on July 13 that we learned that they had scheduled their tournament on
the same dates as ours.
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