Boys volleyball has path to become MSHSL-sanctioned sport in 2024

MINNEAPOLIS - After several years of failed attempts and an incredibly close vote last May, it appears boys volleyball is on the way to becoming a Minnesota State High School League-sanctioned sport by 2024.

At a meeting last Thursday, the league’s Board of Directors approved a proposal to add boys volleyball as an "emerging sport" for the 2023-24 school year. Back in May, 48 league officials voted 31-17 in favor of making it a sport. That was one vote shy of making it happen, as they needed a two-thirds majority, or 32 votes, for it to pass.

Making boys volleyball an "emerging sport," a proposal that was approved unanimously, paves a path for MSHSL officials to vote at the league’s representative assembly in May of 2023 to make it an official varsity sport.

The numbers would indicate there’s enough interest across Minnesota to make boys volleyball a fully-sanctioned varsity sport.

The Minnesota Boys High School Volleyball Association formed in the fall of 2017 and by the spring of 2018, 22 schools combined to from 38 varsity and junior varsity teams, with more than 400 boys playing. A year later, that number more than doubled to 49 schools, 92 teams and more than 800 players. In 2022, 1,400 players registered to play among 53 schools.

Last year, boys volleyball got 29 votes in favor of becoming a sanctioned sport, coming up two votes shy after one board member did not cast a vote.