The seeds are set, now its time to get the NCAA Division I volleyball tournament started. The first round will take place Thursday, Dec. 4, and Friday, Dec. 5, at school sites across the country.
Sixty-four teams are vying for the title with the No. 1 overall seed going to undefeated Nebraska, which is 30-0. The Cornhuskers, who are in their first season under coach Dani Busboom Kelly, won the last of their five national titles in 2017.
Kentucky, Texas, and Pitt are the other No. 1 seeds. The Wildcats have lost two matches, the Longhorns three and the Panthers four this season.
Defending champion Penn State finished 18-12 and is a No. 8 seed in the Austin region. The Nittany Lions face South Florida (17-12) in the first round on Friday.
The 2025 NCAA volleyball Final Four will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s the third time since 2010 that the venue, formerly known as the Sprint Center, has hosted the volleyball national championship.
Here’s everything you need to know about the NCAA volleyball tournament:
How to watch NCAA volleyball tournament
- Streaming: ESPN+ ∣ Fubo (free trial)
The 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will air across the ESPN and ABC family of networks. All first- and second-round games can be found streaming on ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service, and Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
Watch the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament live with Fubo (free trial)
What time is NCAA volleyball tournament?
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 4 and Friday, Dec. 5
- Start time: 32 matches, beginning at 3 p.m. ET Thursday. The last match starts at 10 p.m. ET Friday. Match-by-match times below.
NCAA volleyball first-round matchups, game times
Lexington bracket
- No. 1 Kentucky (25-2) vs. Wofford (17-13), 7 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 8 UCLA (18-12) vs. Georgia Tech (16-13), 4:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 5 BYU (22-8) vs. Cal Poly (25-7), 8 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 4 USC (24-6) vs. Princeton (18-6), 10:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 3 Creighton (25-5) vs. Northern Colorado (17-15), 8 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 6 Northern Iowa (25-5) vs. Utah (15-14), 5:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 7 Tennessee (20-7) vs. Utah State (23-7), 6:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 2 Arizona State (26-3) vs. Coppin State (23-11), 9 p.m. ET, Thursday
Austin bracket
- No. 1 Texas (23-3) vs. Florida A&M (14-16), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 8 Penn State (18-12) vs. South Florida (17-12), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 5 Colorado (22-8) vs. American (24-4), 3 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 4 Indiana (23-7) vs. Toledo (23-10), 5:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 3 Wisconsin (24-4) vs. Eastern Illinois (24-7), 8 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 6 UTEP (25-4) vs. North Carolina (21-8), 5:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 7 South Dakota State (23-4) vs. Arizona (16-12), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 2 Stanford (27-4) vs. Utah Valley (16-10), 10 p.m. ET, Friday
Pittsburgh bracket
- No. 1 Pitt (26-4) vs. UMBC (13-11), 6:30 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 8 Xavier (26-4) vs. Michigan (21-10), 4 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 5 Iowa State (22-7) vs. St. Thomas (21-9), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 4 Minnesota (22-9) vs. Fairfield (25-5), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 3 Purdue (24-6) vs. Wright State (21-10), 7 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 6 Baylor (17-9) vs. Arkansas State (22-8), 4:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 7 Rice (21-9) vs. Florida (15-11), 5 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 2 SMU (25-5) vs. Central Arkansas (18-11), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday
Lincoln bracket
- No. 1 Nebraska (30-0) vs. LIU (20-8), 8 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 8 San Diego (25-4) vs. Kansas State (17-3), 5:30 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 5 Miami (26-5) vs. Tulsa (25-6), 5 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 4 Kansas (22-10) vs. High Point (18-9), 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday
- No. 3 Texas A&M (23-4) vs. Campbell (23-6), 7:30 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 6 TCU (20-10) vs. Stephen F. Austin (23-7), 5 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 7 Western Kentucky (27-5) vs. Marquette (17-10), 4 p.m. ET, Friday
- No. 2 Louisville (24-6) vs. Loyola Chicago (17-15), 6:30 p.m. ET, Friday
NCAA volleyball tournament rounds
- Second round: Dec. 5-6
- Regionals: Dec. 11 and 13 or Dec. 12 and 14
- Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 18
- National championship: 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 21
All games on ESPN Unlimited, ESPN, ABC
NCAA volleyball tournament automatic qualifiers
Here’s a look at the 31 teams that earned automatic berths to the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament by virtue of winning their conferences:
- ACC: Stanford
- American: Tulsa
- American East: UMBC
- Atlantic Sun: Central Arkansas
- Atlantic 10: Loyola Chicago
- Big East: Creighton
- Big Sky: Northern Colorado
- Big South: High Point
- Big Ten: Nebraska
- Big 12: Arizona State
- Big West: Cal Poly
- CAA: Campbell
- Conference USA: Western Kentucky
- Horizon: Wright State
- Ivy: Princeton
- MAAC: Fairfield
- MAC: Toledo
- MEAC: Coppin State
- Missouri Valley: Northern Iowa
- Mountain West: Utah State
- NEC: LIU
- Ohio Valley: Eastern Illinois
- Patriot: American
- SEC: Kentucky
- SoCon: Wofford
- Southland: Stephen F. Austin
- SWAC: Florida A&M
- Summit: St. Thomas
- Sun Belt: Arkansas State
- WAC: Utah Valley
- WCC: San Diego
When is the NCAA volleyball Final Four in 2025?
- Dates: Thursday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 21
The two semifinal matches in the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA volleyball tournament will take place on Thursday, Dec. 18 and will be followed three days later by the national championship game on Sunday, Dec. 21.
NCAA volleyball tournament champions
Penn State is the reigning NCAA volleyball champion, having defeated Louisville in four sets last year in the national title game. It was the Nittany Lions’ eighth volleyball championship since 1999.
Here’s a look at the past 10 NCAA volleyball champions:
- 2024: Penn State
- 2023: Texas
- 2022: Texas
- 2021: Wisconsin
- 2020: Kentucky
- 2019: Stanford
- 2018: Stanford
- 2017: Nebraska
- 2016: Stanford
- 2015: Nebraska
For the full list of champions, click here.