Nebraska Volleyball and Football Share the National Spotlight in FOX Doubleheader

Andi Jackson, Harper Murray, and Bergen Reilly continued making history as they were the first volleyball players to appear on Fox's Big Noon Kickoff.

Nebraska Cornhuskers middle blocker Andi Jackson (15) and setter Bergen Reilly (2) greet on the court before a match. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the first time ever, Fox will broadcast a football-volleyball doubleheader from the same campus. A

All four teams have perfect conference records and will be competing for the top spot in the Big Ten. It feels like a mouthful, but let's break it down and explain why this is such a big deal.

Fox's Big Noon Kickoff was in Lincoln, Neb., for the 11 a.m. battle of Big Ten football unbeatens as the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1) hosted reigning National Champions and No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0).

The Hoosiers came away with a 20-17 win.

It was the first time Big Noon Kickoff has been in Lincoln since Oklahoma came to town in 2022.

Then, at 6 p.m., Fox will air the highly anticipated No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers (16-0, 5-0) volleyball team as they take on the No. 7 Wisconsin Badgers (11-4, 5-0) at the Bob Devaney Center.

Fox grabbed the volleyball match in early August.

Oct 21, 2023; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers middle blocker Andi Jackson (15) goes up to attack against Wisconsin Badgers middle blocker Caroline Crawford (9) and middle blocker Anna Smrek (14) during the fourth set at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

"it's a unique day," said Fox Sports senior vice president for college sports Derek Crockers said to the Athletic. "When we were planning it out, we saw this could be a great opportunity. And it came to fruition."

Fox has used volleyball and football as lead-ins for one another before but this weekend will be the first time both sports have been on the same campus. And it will be the first time that Big Noon Kickoff.

As if that wasn't enough "firsts", it will also be the first time that volleyball players will be featured on the football pregame show. Nebraska star seniors, middle blocker Andi Jackson, outside hitter Harper Murray, and setter Bergen Reilly, all joined the show.

Nebraska volleyball stars Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly will be on set and part of show during “Big Noon Kickoff” on Saturday in Lincoln.

The day marks Fox’s first-ever national broadcast doubleheader of college football and volleyball from the same campus.

— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) October 9, 2026

"We see volleyball in a growth trajectory. Somethings that we saw a few years ago with women's basketball," said Crocker. "We want to help the sport grow. We think there's a lot of momentum behind it right now. And the conferences we cover, especially the Big Ten, are leading in terms of driving that growth."

And Nebraska has been at the forefront of that growth. The school's 413-game football sell-out streak is legendary but volleyball has also been consecutively selling out its home arena since September 2001. For over a decade, it has led the nation in attendance. Since the emergence of Jackson, Murphy, Reilly, and defensive specialist/libero Laney Choboy in 2023,

Cornhusker volleyball fans have contributed to attendance records in 12 of the 18 Big Ten venues. Perhaps more importantly to Fox, Nebraska volleyball consistently ranks as one of volleyball's biggest and best TV audiences.

Best start to a game day EVER 📺

Thanks for having us @BNKonFOX! 🤝 Let's keep growing the game! 🏐#GBR pic.twitter.com/SfwDJZHG2d

— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) October 10, 2026

Most recently, Fox and Big Ten volleyball partnered for the outdoor doubleheader finale of the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge at Wrigley Field. Even though the event was cut short due to weather, Fox executives clearly understood the strength of the Nebraska brand.

Nebraska-Wisconsin Volleyball Preview

Nebraska and Wisconsin have a tied13-13 record against one another coming into this match. Wisconsin led the rivalry 12-8 until a five-game thriller in 2023 gave the Huskers their first win over the Badgers in 10 games. Since then, the Huskers have controlled the matchup 5-1.

Wisconsin completely reloaded its roster this year, adding two transfers and nine freshmen, including outside hitter Audrey Flanagan and opposite Decelise Champion. Led by junior setter Charlie Fuerbringer, the Badgers have already faced an absolute gauntlet of a schedule. Sitting 11-4, Wisconsin has played 12 ranked opponents so far and holds a 7-4 record against them.

Nebraska, on the other hand, added three freshmen but has made minimal changes to the starting lineup that went 33-1, 20-0 last year. The Cornhuskers have not faced nearly as many ranked opponents (4) but so far have dropped only three sets the entire season, are perfect in conference play, and are the only remaining undefeated NCAA D1 volleyball team.