Inaugural $1 Million College Volleyball Showcase: Matchups, Schedule, Tickets

The $1 million prize pool is the largest award ever in women’s college sports.

Nebraska will take on Florida. / Nebraska Athletics

Matchups have been set for the inaugural Spikes Under the Lights, a premium women’s college volleyball showcase on Thursday, Aug. 27 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Nebraska will face Florida, and Penn State will take on SMU as these four powerhouse programs compete for a $1 million prize pool, the largest money award ever in women’s college sports. 

Nebraska will play Florida and Penn State will face SMU in the $1 million made-for-TV women's college volleyball exhibition set for next month at AT&T Stadium 💰🏐

Each team will be paid a $200,000 appearance fee. An additional $200,000 in prize money will be at stake, with the… pic.twitter.com/d5LTMnblpb

— espnW (@espnW) July 28, 2026

MUSTANGS vs. NITTANY LIONS 🍿

We’ll face Penn State in the second semifinal match of @spikeslights at AT&T Stadium.

🎟️ https://t.co/cCYP3deFHI pic.twitter.com/8umWQKIZd9

— SMU Volleyball (@SMUVolleyball) July 28, 2026

Each program is set to be paid a $200,000 appearance fee, with the additional $200,000 in prize money at stake. The largest portion goes to the winner, and programs are responsible for deciding how the money is distributed among their roster. 

Two semifinals will be followed by a final, with all played in a best-of-three set format designed to fit a three-hour broadcast window. The first two sets will be played to 21 points and, if needed, the third set to 15.  

The duel between the Huskers and the Gators is slated for 7 p.m. CT, followed by Penn State and SMU at 8 p.m. CT. The winners of the two matches advance to the championship game at 9 p.m. CT. 

Tickets start as low as $20 and reach into the thousands on SeatGeek. Broadcast and streaming coverage have yet to be announced.

Why These Four Programs? 

Spikes Under the Lights was developed as a trend in collegiate volleyball viewership, and attendance continues upward. These four programs have no doubt been a large piece in pushing the sport forward. 

The Nittany Lions have appeared in a record 45 NCAA Tournaments and won eight national titles; Nebraska has 44 NCAA appearances and five titles; Florida has 36 appearances, and SMU has played in three straight NCAAs and five overall.

Nebraska made history in 2023 when it hosted the largest attendance ever recorded for a women’s sporting event (92,003) at the outdoor volleyball event at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. Spikes Under the Lights has the opportunity to go even further as AT&T Stadium holds 100,000 people. 

"We are excited and honored to be part of this historic event that showcases the continued growth of women's volleyball," Nebraska head coach Dani Busboom Kelly said in a press release. "This will be a great opportunity to face some talented teams in an iconic setting as we ramp up to the start of the season. It should be an awesome night and hopefully a lot of Husker fans will be able to experience it with us in Dallas."