Media coverage for college sand volleyball doesn't exactly compare to March Madness. And by "doesn't exactly compare," we mean that it's basically on a different planet. The sport doesn't get much national TV time. It hardly even gets any local TV time. On campus, people might recognize you, but it might only be because of your height or your excellent tan.

Outside of sand volleyball season, which lasts from the beginning of March to mid-May, the words "sand" and "volleyball" probably won't even be spoken in the same sentence.

Luckily, during the season, there are a few significant events that manage to get some attention.

The season culminates with the nation's top four D-I programs competing in the national team championships. Meanwhile, there's a sixteen-team pair championship, featuring the sixteen best individual pairs throughout D-I. Both events occur in May over a three-day span in Gulf Shores, Alabama (source). Exotic, huh?

Those games are televised on CBS Sports. Coverage, however, is very limited. Only portions of the competition are televised in a two-hour special with three different air times.

At the end of the season, the AVCA gives out awards to the top players and coaches in the nation. While this event doesn't get Heisman Trophy levels of attention (a.k.a. zero TV time, once again), it's still a pretty big deal in the volleyball world (source).

Of course, the endgame for any aspiring volleyball player is the Olympics; it's every athlete's dream to compete for his or her country and go for the gold on the international stage. Giants of the sport like Kerri Walsh-Jennings and Misty May-Treanor have set the bar pretty high with their three consecutive Olympic gold medals. Think you can beat that?