IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Big Ten Conference is introducing the establishment of a Big Ten Volleyball Tournament, the league announced on Thursday morning. The conference tournament will debut in 2026.
“For the first time in its history, the Big Ten Conference will determine its volleyball champion with a postseason tournament featuring the best volleyball teams in the country,” said Commissioner Tony Petitti. “We look forward to bringing the nation’s top talent together for an entire week of exhilarating competition culminating in the crowning of the inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament Champion.”
Fishers Event Center in Fishers, Indiana, will be the host of the inaugural tournament. Competition begins on Friday, Nov. 20. Three matches will be played in the opening round of the tournament, followed by four second-round matches. The competition will then progress through the quarterfinals and semifinals, culminating with the championship match slated for Wednesday, Nov. 25. One off day will be built into the tournament schedule.
The top 15 teams in the Big Ten will qualify for the postseason tournament. Because of this addition, the regular season conference schedule will be reduced from 20 matches to 17. The regular season will feature a single round-robin format. Details on each team’s opponent rotation will be announced at a later time.
The Big Ten continues to be the most popular conference in the country in terms of attendance, leading the Division I attendance rankings in every season since 2007, as its matches routinely attract some of the largest crowds in collegiate volleyball.
The 2026 volleyball season will begin with the Fifth Annual Big Ten Volleyball Media Day on August 3 in Chicago. Interested media can apply for a credential here. The highly anticipated slate will include the first Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week that culminates in a doubleheader at Wrigley Field on Sunday, September 6.
Iowa returns 13 members of its 2025 team that won 15 matches – the program’s most since 2016. The Hawkeyes welcome four newcomers, including transfers Liv Mogridge (MH) and Ksenija Tomic (OH), and freshmen Nikolija Bulatovic (S) and Henlee Moszkowicz (L). Head coach Jim Barnes enters his fifth season leading the program.
