The NCAA has awarded the 2027 Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship to Edward Waters University. | Morry Gash, AP
Published on October 3, 2024 at 2:16 pm
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Several NCAA championships are coming to the Jacksonville area in the next few years.
The NCAA awarded Jacksonville three different championships in track and volleyball over two years, the first time that has happened, Visit Jacksonville announced Wednesday.
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The University of North Florida was awarded the 2027 NCAA Division I Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track & Field First Round Championships. Edward Waters University was awarded the 2027 NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship and the 2028 NCAA Division II Men’s & Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
“We are thrilled Jacksonville was awarded these tournaments and look forward to welcoming fans, friends and family for the events,” Michael Corrigan, president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville, said in a news release.
Corrigan, also president of the Jacksonville Sports Foundation, noted that the Atlantic Sun Conference has picked Jacksonville as the new home for the conference, bringing the promise that more championships will consider Jacksonville.
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The Jacksonville Sports Foundation was launched in May to attract all types of sporting events to the area and to put Jacksonville on the national stage as a sports destination.
Corrigan said Jacksonville landed the championships through collaboration of Visit Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sports Foundation, Jacksonville City Council, the City of Jacksonville Office of Sports and Entertainment, Edward Waters University, Jacksonville University and UNF.
“These strong partnerships have changed how Jacksonville focuses on future sports, resulting in bids for 16 NCAA Division I and II championships for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years in men’s and women’s basketball, outdoor track and soccer, and women’s volleyball,” the news release said.
In addition to hosting the upcoming NCAA tournaments, Jacksonville will host the AAU College Ice Hockey National Championships (March 2025, USA Gymnastics Trampoline & Tumbling – Elite Challenge (May 2025), ESA Southeastern Regional Championship (surfing in April 2025) and USA Surfing Prime Series (March 2025).
Earlier this year, the city was announced as the home of the AAU Track and Field Primary Nationals and Club Championships. It hosted the event in July at UNF.
Jacksonville also hosted the Cricket SIAC Men’s Volleyball Championship at Edward Waters University in April.
Randy comes to Jacksonville from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, where as metro editor, he led investigative coverage of the Parkland school shooting that won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for public service. He has spent more than 40 years in reporting and editing positions in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio and Florida.
