University of Calabria launches elite volleyball academy to compete in Serie B (2026‑27)

The University of Calabria in Italy will field a men’s volleyball team in the national Serie B for the 2026‑2027 season after acquiring the sporting title through the affiliation of its university sports centre (CUS Unical) with the Italian Volleyball Federation (FIPAV). The move is part of the CUS Unical Sport Hub project, promoted by rector Gianluigi Greco, delegate Giuseppe Piero Guido and sports centre president Giannantonio Cuomo.

The initiative creates a permanent academy that offers free housing and meals for student‑athletes and integrates elite sport with academic programmes. It involves university departments such as sports medicine, physiotherapy, athletic preparation, nutrition and sport psychology, and aims to become a national model for university sport, with plans to expand to other disciplines, beach and sitting volleyball, and paralympic support. Iconic former Olympian Valerio Vermiglio was cited as a guiding figure for the project.