Caymax Sports Ltd is set to introduce women’s collegiate volleyball under its franchise, with competition set to begin in 2025.
Currently, Caymax only hosts the annual November Cayman Islands Classic NCAA Division I pre-season basketball tournament, which welcomed women ballers to the court for the first time since the tournament was launched in 2017.
Joe Wright, CEO of Caymax Sports Ltd, told the Compass that he is in advanced negotiations with top universities to have their players compete, similar to their established basketball tournament.
“We are working on volleyball right now,” Wright said. “We are going to start our summer tours to bring universities in for the summer. We are talking to the ministers now to see opportunities in bringing college volleyball into the programme, which would come in September… maybe the first weekend.”
Caymax issued a press release announcing that the pre-season volleyball tournament will feature eight Division I NCAA women teams and will be held at John Gray Gymnasium. The release also stated that former Penn State coach Russ Rose had been selected as the executive tournament director.
“It is my pleasure to join forces with Caymax Sports in promoting and expanding this great opportunity for women’s collegiate volleyball teams to kick off their 2025 season in the Cayman Islands,” Rose stated in the release, noting that teams will play once over three days.
The introduction of volleyball under the Cayman Classic franchise is a continuation of efforts to elevate the profile of Cayman and, ultimately, boost sports tourism. Wright noted that the expectation is to have thousands of fans come to Cayman as a result of bringing more sports to the island.
American football coming
“Different variety of sports coming in… that’s what it’s all about,” Wright told the Compass. “A lot of Americans enjoy the Cayman Islands, they want to experience the sun, the beach, all things Cayman Islands.”
In addition to basketball and volleyball, Caymax has American football in its scopes for the distant future as well.
Wright noted the plans to bring American football to the island will “take some time,” but discussions have started nonetheless.
“We’re talking to some universities about bringing their football programmes down here for the summer time, for a bonding deal, for 10 to 12 days; we are still working on that.”
Despite the sport not having a presence domestically, Wright noted that he is confident that bringing American football and hosting it at Cayman’s national stadium, the Truman Bodden Sports Complex, will guarantee a sellout.
He said, due to the amount of foreigners that reside in Cayman, in addition to the thousands of supporters that will follow their team, he expects the football to be among the biggest sporting events the island has ever seen.
As for next year, the Cayman Islands Classic NCAA Division I pre-season basketball tournament is scheduled to commence in November for the sixth year (COVID forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 events) with both men and women tournaments.
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