Spikes Under the Lights: Four teams, $1 million, one historic night

August 27, 2026

The fast-paced, best-of-three set format tournament will feature two opening matches followed by a winner-take-all championship round. Nebraska will take on Florida in the first semifinal match followed by Penn State against SMU. Each team will be paid a $200,000 appearance fee and an additional $200,000 in prize money will be at stake with the largest portion going to the winner — the $1 million purse is the largest ever in women’s college sports. Each school will determine how it distributes the money among its players.

Featuring four teams in the current AVCA Top 20 rankings, Spikes Under the Lights will be the first women’s college volleyball event played at AT&T Stadium, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and the first women’s college volleyball event played at an NFL stadium. Set at the 50-yard-line, the volleyball court will replace the Cowboys’ field for one historic night. ESPN