Last year, Division I members San Diego State and Loyola Marymount dropped their men's volleyball programs. That's an easy way out of a financial pickle. The quality of play also has improved, with more players competing for fewer scholarships. Everybody is fighting for a starting spot. There aren't that many teams.
Every team is tough.
Every match is tough. Still, men's volleyball is on life support. The sport's most decorated team, UCLA, draws around 1,000 fans for a big match. At most, dropping men's volleyball will save a school 4.5 scholarships, the maximum amount a program is allowed to offer each year. But the number of scholarships is not the sole factor in calculating gender equity.