The 2026 college volleyball season is all set to turn heads with its upcoming tournaments, which will be held in various historical spots. Three tournaments are set to take place before the conference play even arrives, and each of them is massively special in its own ways.

From huge purse money to venues where college volleyball has never been played, this season’s college volleyball is ready to enter the history books. So far in this season, the collegiate volleyball season has witnessed the beach volleyball championships, which commenced in February and concluded in March. Following this, various teams played the spring exhibition match, which started on April 11 and concluded on April 25 and was held in different locations.

Let’s have a look at the upcoming events that will headline the historic 2026 college volleyball season

Full schedule of the 2026 college volleyball season

The 2026 college volleyball season will feature unprecedented, historic events, headlined by a $1 million purse at AT&T Stadium in August. Let’s have a look at the entire schedule, looking at all the exceptional events that have kept the volleyball fans on their toes.

1. Spikes Under the Lights 

Date- August 27, 2026.

Time – 7:00 pm (CT).

Venue – AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Prize money – $1 million.

In this tournament, the volleyball teams of Nebraska, Florida, Penn State, and SMU will contest each other on the same night to earn the $1 million NIL prize pool, which is currently the largest ever awarded in women’s college sports. In addition to this, they will be playing inside an NFL stadium for the whopping amount of money, which is another thing that hasn’t ever happened in college volleyball.

2. Players Era Volleyball Showcase 

Date – August 29-30, 2026.

Venue – T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

Purse money – $1 million.

This event is the second, distinct $1 million NIL event that will take place in the 2026 college volleyball season in Las Vegas. This inaugural iteration of the event will bring together Nebraska, Texas, TCU, and UNLV for high-profile matchups.

3. Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge 

Date – September 6, 2026.

Venue – Wrigley Field in Chicago (Home of the MLB Cubs)

Time – First match at 6pm (CT), followed by the second at 8pm (CT).

This doubleheader will feature terrific showdowns of Nebraska vs. Missouri and Penn State vs. Kentucky, marking the first volleyball matches at the historic MLB venue. The matchups held in this tournament will be broadcast live on Fox.

4. Paradise Invitational

Date – September 11-13, 2026.

Venue- Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, Nassau, Bahamas

One team from each Power Four conference team will head to the Bahamas for the inaugural edition of the Paradise Invitation, with the Kentucky Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers, SMU Mustangs, and Houston Cougars set to headline the field. This is a first of its kind NCAA women’s volleyball multi-team event, which is modeled after early-season college basketball tournaments. While the inaugural 2026 season features a four-team concept, the organizers will reportedly expand the field to eight teams for the future iterations.