NCAA.org Release on DIII Men's Volleyball Championship

The NCAA DIII Championships Committee reviewed plans for the upcoming 2012 DIII Men's Volleyball Championship at their most recent meeting May 31-June 1 in Indianapolis.  These are the highlights from the meeting.  The full release from the NCAA can be read at the link above.

• The championship tournament, will consist of a nine-team tournament beginning in 2012.
• Six teams will earn an automatic qualifying bid from winning their conference championship.  Three teams will make the tournament with an at-large bid. 
• The four conferences out of the East Region with automatic bids are the City University of New York Athletic Conference, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, the New England Collegiate Conference, and the Skyline Conference.  Independent instiutions are MIT and Springfield.
• The two conferences out of the West Region are the Continental Volleyball Conference and the United Volleyball Conference.  Independent institutions are Lancaster Bible, Rust and St. Joseph's (Brooklyn).
• A first round match between two teams will take place on April 21 on the campus of the higher seed before the eight-team championship (quarterfinals, semifinals, championship) takes place between April 27-29 at Springfield College. 
• Selection show will be held on April 15 at 9pm, Eastern time.