Inaugural MSHSL boys volleyball season start date, state tournament set

The Minnesota State High School League’s Board of Directors on Thursday approved the dates for the inaugural boys volleyball season.

Based on the recommendation of the Boys Volleyball Advisory Committee, the first officially sanctioned season will begin March 17, 2025, with its state tournament held June 9-13. The committee also confirmed competitive sections for boys volleyball, which will be a one-class activity in its initial season. Eighty-five teams are registered to compete when the season opens next spring, according to the MSHSL.

Boys volleyball was approved as an officially sanctioned sport by the MSHSL Representative Assembly in May 2023. It is currently operating under the MSHSL’s “emerging sport” classification with guidance from the Minnesota Boys High School Volleyball Association. The sport had 72 teams representing 78 schools in 2023.

The board also finalized a draft of the Sunset Policy, which establishes a multi-step process outlining a variety of options for keeping or ending sports and activities with fewer than 32 participating teams.

Board members also discussed considering proposals for seeding changes to the boys and girls basketball and boys and girls hockey state tournaments. If the proposals are approved, teams in all classes would be seeded 1 through 8 for the quarterfinals in all four tournaments. Currently, teams in the quarterfinals are seeded 1 through 5, with the final three teams placed through a random draw.