HACKENSACK, N.J. – Fairleigh Dickinson University President, Dr. Christopher Capuano and Director of Athletics,
Bradford Hurlbut are pleased to announce the addition of men's volleyball to the Knights stable of athletic programs.
Video: Press Conference
With this addition, FDU increases its sport total to 20 teams and will become the 24th NCAA DI institution to sponsor men's volleyball as well as, the fourth NEC institution to field the sport. St. Francis Brooklyn launched men's volleyball in 2019-20, joining Sacred Heart and Saint Francis (Pa.) as the NEC schools that sponsor men's volleyball.
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In addition, it was announced that a $200,000 grant from First Point Volleyball Foundation was obtained to aid in the establishment of the program. The $200,000 will be granted over four years to assist with programmatic needs.
"The University is very excited to welcome men's volleyball, the 20
th Division I athletic program on our Metropolitan Campus," said FDU President Christopher A. Capuano. "The pandemic has greatly impacted colleges and universities across the country over the last year, but we are continuing to move forward and respond to student needs with important new programs like this one."
The president added, "FDU has achieved strong momentum in recent years, and our strategic planning efforts have positioned us well for the future. Our foremost goal is to create greater opportunities for our students to have a dynamic and fulfilling collegiate experience, and athletics plays an important role in that effort on both our New Jersey campuses."
In his third year at the helm of FDU Athletics, Hurlbut is excited to bring this dynamic sport 'on the Hackensack', "I would like to thank President Chris Capuano and the Board of Trustees for their leadership and belief in our strategic vision. Additionally, today would not be possible without the support from the First Point Volleyball Foundation and its CEO Wade Garard. Sincere thanks for making it possible for us to achieve FDU's "First Point" next season."
Hurlbut continued on the impact men's volleyball will have on the region, "We look forward to competing against our NEC peers who sponsor men's volleyball: St. Francis (Brooklyn), Saint Francis (PA), and Sacred Heart. Additionally, two other Division I New Jersey institutions, NJIT and Princeton, sponsor this great sport. We will move forward with applying for membership in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and look forward to competing around the country."
Men's volleyball is the first sport the Knights have added since the inception of women's golf in 2006. A national search for the new volleyball program's first head coach will begin immediately and the team is set to begin play in the 2021-22 season.
For more information about the First Point Volleyball Foundation, visit
FirstPointVolleyball.com or contact Wade Garard at wade@firstpointvolleyball.com.
What They're Saying
Wade Garard, CEO of First Point Volleyball
"We have been so impressed by the vision and leadership of President Capuano and Director Hurlbut. First Point is honored to partner with an institution building momentum through athletics. It is really exciting to think that young men from all over the country and all over the world will soon be in Hackensack competing in volleyball and enjoying the unique student-athlete experience FDU is providing."
John Speraw, United States Men's Volleyball National Team Head Coach
"I can't emphasize enough how important it is to add another Division I program to the entire Olympic sport movement. Congratulations to Brad Hurlbut and the entire Fairleigh Dickinson community. Boys' and men's volleyball continues to be on the rise and I look forward to Fairleigh Dickinson's first point in January 2022."
Sarah Wilhelmi, Sr. Director of Collegiate Partnerships, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee
"On behalf of Team USA, congratulations to Fairleigh Dickinson University for adding men's volleyball to your roster of DI sponsored sports. Olympic sport support is critical to Team USA and great for student-athletes. We wish you the best of luck. Go Knights!"
About Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is the largest private university in New Jersey with four campuses in three countries. FDU is ranked among the best regional universities and in the Top 50 in the North region by U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges 2021. The University was also ranked by U.S. News number 16 in Best Value Schools. In addition, the University's undergraduate programs in business and engineering were named among the top in the nation. The University was ranked number 23 among regional universities in the North for veterans and among the top performers for social mobility. It is an exciting time for the University as it is in the midst of its "One University, Many Dreams" capital campaign which is working toward a goal of $100 million raised.
About FDU Knights Athletics and Director of Athletics Bradford Hurlbut
FDU Knights Athletics currently has 19 teams, eight men's and 11 women's, with 254 student-athletes. The Knights have a very diverse department with student-athletes from 30 countries and 22 U.S states. FDU has been playing intercollegiate athletics since it opened in 1954 and has had a history of success. FDU has two NCAA national championships in women's bowling. Its men's basketball program has also been a historically successful program going to the NCAA Tournament six times and twice in the last five years. In addition, the men's soccer team has reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen while winning a total of nine NEC championships.
FDU has also excelled in the classroom. In 2019-20 the Knights took home NEC team GPA awards in women's golf and women's soccer while the department had their 38th consecutive semester with a GPA above 3.0. Finally, the Knights give back to their community in and around Bergen County. In 2020, FDU took the NEC's Building Community Award, given for the school with the most community service hours with 3,275.
About Boys' and Men's Volleyball in the United States and New Jersey
Boys' volleyball is exploding. It is the fastest-growing team sport in the United States for high school boys, growing at 22% over the last five years. The second fastest-growing team sport grew by only 9.98% and football decreased nine percent over the same five-year period. With 63,000 boys playing high school volleyball it is projected that 100,000 boys will be playing by 2028. New Jersey is also at the forefront of the boys' volleyball movement as the state ranks third in participation, trailing only California and Illinois. New collegiate Men's Volleyball programs have been launched at 80 universities in the last decade – mostly at the DII, DIII, and NAIA levels. In 2019 First Point Volleyball and the SIAC announced that six HBCUs would be adding men's volleyball bringing the total NCAA DI-II programs that sponsor the sport up to 55 teams expected in the 2021-2022 school year.
About First Point Volleyball Foundation
Founded in 2016 by John Speraw, Head Coach of the USA Men's National Team and UCLA Men's Volleyball, First Point Volleyball Foundation exists to provide opportunities for young people to mature and develop through volleyball. Specifically focused on growing boys' and men's volleyball in the United States, First Point Volleyball Foundation initiates and celebrates FIRST POINTS whether that is a first point of a new NCAA team, or a new high school team, or a first point of competitive volleyball for an 11 year-old. First Point Volleyball has raised $3.5 million in less than three years and has helped start 18 new collegiate men's volleyball programs. The Foundation has three strategic initiatives: (1) Growing collegiate opportunities; (2) Growing high school boys' opportunities; and (3) Extending our Reach Diversity Initiative – expanding volleyball opportunities to boys and men of color.
