Columbus hosts USA Volleyball's Boys' Junior National Championships in 2017

October 28, 2015

The USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championships (BJNC) will return to Columbus, Ohio, in 2017 after hosting the event in 2015. The 2017 BJNC will be held July 1-8 at the newly renovated and expanded SMG-managed Greater Columbus Convention Center.
The BJNC, which was awarded again to the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and the Ohio Valley Region (OVR) of USA Volleyball, generated nearly $13 million in visitor spending in 2015 with more than 22,000 hotel room nights from over 40 hotels due to a record 479 teams over 5,000 of the top boys’ junior players in the United States, along with 10,000 spectators, visiting the city for seven days.
“Columbus has proven to be a great destination for the BJNC,” said Tom Pingel, USA Volleyball senior director for indoor events and High Performance. “Given the success and feedback that we received after the 2015 event, we felt that it was wise to return with the 2017 Championships.”
The event will have Open Division titles in each age group from 14 to 18, while offering club titles for each age from 12 to 18. Not only is this a tournament to showcase talent from all over the country, it is also a chance for college recruiters to find potential players for their programs.
The 2017 BJNC will be the third USA Volleyball National Championship event in Columbus in five years as it hosted the 2012 USAV Girls’ Junior National Championships as well.
“On behalf of our 20,000+ members, the Ohio Valley Region is honored to again be an integral part of Columbus hosting the USA Volleyball Boy’s Junior National Championships,” Ohio Valley Region Commissioner President Bob Price said. “Our central location in the country, along with the combination of an experienced volunteer support base and a venue that will feel brand new will make this championship the best one ever.”
“Columbus is thrilled to work closely with USA Volleyball and the Ohio Valley Region as proud hosts of three major championship events within five years,” said Greater Columbus Sports Commission Executive Director Linda Shetina Logan. “As one of the volleyball capitals of the U.S., we look forward to having the BJNC as one of the first groups to experience our fully renovated convention center as we continue to create memorable experiences for their athletes and fans.
The Greater Columbus Convention Center’s $125M expansion and accompanying full interior renovation includes the addition of nearly 37,000 square feet to an existing 410,000 square feet of exhibit space and more than 10,000 square feet of two-level meeting space. The exterior renovation and accompanying amenities for visitors to utilize will enhance the guest experience, including a new eight-level, 800-space Goodale Garage opening in early 2016 that will eventually be connected to the LEED-certified venue by enclosed walkway.
“We were very excited in 2015 about adding this spectacular tournament to our legacy of hosting more than two decades of OVR tournaments, as well as the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships for girls and now this tournament for boys,” said Greater Columbus Convention Center General Manager John R. Page.  “When the tournament attendees return in 2017, they’ll enjoy a facility that will be completely transformed and expanded by a multi-million dollar investment since their last visit.”
Founded in 1928, USA Volleyball is a Colorado incorporated non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Federation International de Volleyball (FIVB) as the National Governing Body for the disciplines of beach volleyball, indoor volleyball and sitting volleyball in the United States. USA Volleyball has over 315,000 registered members, 12,000 teams and 5,300 clubs nationwide. With an annual budget in excess of $28 million dollars, USA Volleyball supports the USA men’s and women’s senior national team programs for beach, indoor and sitting volleyball; youth and junior national teams, national championship events, coaching education, certification programs and grassroots development across all disciplines. USA Volleyball has a rich tradition of success as evidenced by winning an Olympic medal in every Olympic Games since 1984, three Paralympic medals since 2004 and capturing numerous World Cup, World Championship and Continental Championship titles. USA Volleyball is committed to and works toward opportunity for all to participate. It is an advocate for all Americans endeavoring to assure universal access to opportunities at all levels of the game. For more information please visit www.usavolleyball.org.
The Ohio Valley Region of USA Volleyball (OVR) is one of the largest regional volleyball associations (RVAs) of USA Volleyball.  Geographically, the Ohio Valley Region includes the states of Ohio and West Virginia, and bordering counties (Erie, Crawford, Mercer, Lawrence, Beaver, Washington, Green) of Western Pennsylvania.  OVR is an amateur athletic sports association to promote and establish quality volleyball through participation by both adults and juniors, according to the standards set forth by USA Volleyball and the Amateur Sports Act of 1978.
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission is a catalyst, driving the collaborative efforts of the Central Ohio region in attracting and hosting a wide variety of sporting events.  The Sports Commission provides the experience and expertise in sports marketing and event management that has established our region as a premier sports destination, hosting more than 350 new sporting events that have generated close to $380 million in visitor spending, while retaining annual events that have generated an additional $250 million to benefit our local economy. For more information, visit www.columbussports.org.