Get ready, volleyball fans, because your sport is about to get some high-profile love. The Big Ten and SEC have announced the inaugural Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week, set to take place Sept. 1–6. The six-day, nationwide series will feature every team from both conferences—18 from the Big Ten and 16 from the SEC—with a slate of 30 total matches.
A nationwide, week-long showcase
The tournament will be played across multiple campus venues before culminating in a marquee finale in Chicago. Schools will host mini round-robin events or standalone matches, with each site typically featuring two Big Ten teams and two SEC teams.
You can see the full schedule here, but here are the game locations and how many matches will be played at each:
| Venue | Host School | Location | Number of Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| UW Fieldhouse | University of Wisconsin at Madison | Madison, WI | 4 |
| Holloway Gymnasium | Purdue University | West Lafayette, IN | 4 |
| Historic Memorial Gymnasium | Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN | 4 |
| Crisler Center | University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | 4 |
| McCasland Field House | University of Oklahoma | Norman, OK | 4 |
| Newell-Grissom Building | Mississippi State University | Starkville, MS | 4 |
| Wrigley Field | n/a | Chicago, IL | 2 |
| Food City Center | University of Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | 1 |
| Hearnes Center | University of Missouri | Columbia, MO | 1 |
| Gregory Gymnasium | University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | 1 |
| Historic Memorial Coliseum | University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY | 1 |
Historic finale at Wrigley Field
The week will culminate with a first-of-its-kind outdoor volleyball doubleheader at Wrigley Field on Sunday, Sept. 6 — marking the first time the ballpark will host collegiate volleyball.
The nationally televised matchups include:
- 6:00 p.m. CT — Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Missouri Tigers
- 8:00 p.m. CT — Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Kentucky Wildcats
How to get tickets
Tickets will go on sale on Thursday, April 9, but exact details have not been released. We will post an update when they are announced.
Schedule Scout
For those who are interested in seeing some college football mixed in with their college volleyball, here’s the list of teams playing at the same time.
Saturday Sept 5: ULM @ Mississippi State (Thursday and Friday volleyball)
Saturday Sept 5: East Carolina @ Alabama (Thursday and Friday volleyball)
Saturday Sept 5: UTEP @ Oklahoma (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday volleyball)
Sunday Sept 6: Notre Dame @ Wisconsin (Wednesday and Thursday volleyball)
Chicago events
Saturday Sept 5: Minnesota Twins @ Chicago White Sox, 6:10pm
Sunday Sept 6: Minnesota Twins @ Chicago White Sox, 1:10pm
Sunday Sept 6: North Carolina Courage @ Chicago Stars FC, 3:00pm
Next Steps
If you’re interested in any of these events, mark your calendar for the April 9th onsale. Since the dates are finalized, you should also go ahead and make refundable hotel reservations as well. And given the rising price of airfare, early bookings would be strategic for that as well.
