The tournament was open to teams from Divisions I, II, and III. The top three teams each in the East and West Regions qualified automatically, and two additional teams were selected at large. Selections for the tournament were announced on April 28 on NCAA.com.[3]
In December 2017, ESPN was awarded a 5-year contract to provide television coverage of the NCAA Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship, beginning with the 2018 season.[5] In addition, the Selection Show for the championship tournament was broadcast on April 28 at NCAA.com.[6]
Television channels
The 14 dual matches comprising the entirety of the championship were broadcast live on the following channels at the specified times:[7]
Day 1: Opening Rounds (Matches/Duals 1-8) - ESPNU, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM CDT
Day 2: Third Round (Match/Dual 11); Elimination Bracket: Second and Third Rounds (Matches/Duals 9-10, 12) - ESPN2 (later rebroadcast on ESPNU), 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM CDT
Day 3: Semifinal/Elimination Bracket Final (Match/Dual 13) - ESPN2, 9:30 AM CDT
Day 3: National Championship Final (Match/Dual 14) - ESPN, 1:00 PM CDT