Today, AVPNext, the official minor league system of the AVP Pro Tour, announces their 2019 schedule. With the recent development of AVP America, the AVPNext tour has re-established and reverted back to their core competencies:
- giving athletes increased opportunities to earn prize money
- offering more high-level competitions for the developing athletes
- act as a research tool for the AVP (allowing the executive team to evaluate possible markets and promoters for the Pro Tour events)
“With the strength of the ‘AVP America’ sanctioning program already capturing most of the country’s regional tournaments & leagues, it allows AVPNext to take a step back and concentrate on our mission and enhancing the quality of these marquee events to form a true minor league for professional beach volleyball,” says AVP’s Senior Director of Sport & Competition, Jeff Conover.
AVPNext Gold Events
- June 8-9 in Denver, CO
- Volleyball of the Rockies
- $20,000 Prize Purse
- June 15-16 in Virginia Beach, VA
- Partnering with Tidewater Volleyball Association
- $20,000 Prize Purse
- June 29-30 in Dallas, TX
- Partnering with Texas Volleyball Tour
- $20,000 Prize Purse
- July 20-21 in Chicago, IL
- Partnering with Chicago Sport & Social Club
- $20,000 Prize Purse
- August 3-4 in Pompano Beach, FL
- Partnering with Dig the Beach
- $20,000 Prize Purse
- August 8-10 in Seaside, OR
- Partnering with Seaside Beach Volleyball
- $25,000 Prize Purse
AVPNext U26 Events
- June 15-16 in Dallas, TX
- Partnering with Texas Volleyball Tour
- Partnering with Texas Volleyball Tour
- July 20-21 in Huntington Beach, CA
- Partnering with VolleyOC
- Partnering with VolleyOC
The AVPNext platform has evolved into a series of events consisting of AVPNext Gold events and AVPNext U26 events. Similar to the Pro Tour, the Gold Series events will be elevated prize money and points for the athletes while the U26 events are dedicated to young, developing talent.
“We are thrilled to announce the 2019 schedule,” says Conover. “We feel very confident that with the launch of this new event structure and the support of some of the top tournament organizers in our sport, we will have a full slate of high-level events this summer.”
Through these two types of events, the AVPNext circuit will continue to offer developing athletes a path to the AVP Pro Tour’s iconic Manhattan Beach Open. With a total of eight national events in 2019, each event winner will be offered a Wild Card bid into the Main Draw. Along with the Main Draw bids, AVPNext Gold events (six in 2019) will have at least a $20,000 prize purse ($10,000 per gender), with each event paying out through seventh place. The two AVPNext U26 events will remain strictly developmental, offering no prize money.
Conover continues, “It’s encouraging to see the continued commitment made by the AVP towards our developmental efforts throughout the pipeline. It is attracting a new level of talent amongst the ranks and gathering further national attention and participation. The pipeline from AVPFirst all the way up to the AVP Pro Tour has never been stronger.”
For more information about the AVPNext program, head to AVP.com/AVP-Next.
