Indiana University Athletics
Big Ten Adds Conference Tournament, Alters Regular Season
4/16/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
ROSEMONT, Ill. – For the first time since 1990, Big Ten volleyball will have a different look in the regular season.
The league announced the addition of a Big Ten volleyball tournament in 2026, officially becoming the second power conference (SEC) to add one. The top 15 teams in the conference will converge on the Fishers Event Center the weekend before Thanksgiving to crown a postseason champion. The championship game will be played on Wednesday, November 25th in front of a national television audience.
With the move to a conference tournament, the league offices have adjusted the regular season schedule to a 17-game, round-robin slate. Head coach Steve Aird and the Hoosiers will play each team once. Opponent rotations will be announced later in the month but IU will play either eight or nine league contests at Wilkinson Hall; depending on how the schedule shakes out.
The Big Ten will adopt a similar format to what women's basketball used this year. The bottom three teams in the league will miss the conference tournament all together. The top four seeds will advance with a double bye to the quarterfinals. Seeds 10-15 will open the week's proceedings on Friday, November 20th in Fishers.
IU is set to return a large core of its talented 2025 roster. Outside hitter Jaidyn Jager, setter Teodora Krickovic and middle blocker Victoria Gray will help lead the Hoosiers in the ninth season for head coach Steve Aird. The full 2026 slate will be unveiled in the coming months but already includes matches against Texas A&M, Georgia and Tennessee.
The league announced the addition of a Big Ten volleyball tournament in 2026, officially becoming the second power conference (SEC) to add one. The top 15 teams in the conference will converge on the Fishers Event Center the weekend before Thanksgiving to crown a postseason champion. The championship game will be played on Wednesday, November 25th in front of a national television audience.
With the move to a conference tournament, the league offices have adjusted the regular season schedule to a 17-game, round-robin slate. Head coach Steve Aird and the Hoosiers will play each team once. Opponent rotations will be announced later in the month but IU will play either eight or nine league contests at Wilkinson Hall; depending on how the schedule shakes out.
The Big Ten will adopt a similar format to what women's basketball used this year. The bottom three teams in the league will miss the conference tournament all together. The top four seeds will advance with a double bye to the quarterfinals. Seeds 10-15 will open the week's proceedings on Friday, November 20th in Fishers.
IU is set to return a large core of its talented 2025 roster. Outside hitter Jaidyn Jager, setter Teodora Krickovic and middle blocker Victoria Gray will help lead the Hoosiers in the ninth season for head coach Steve Aird. The full 2026 slate will be unveiled in the coming months but already includes matches against Texas A&M, Georgia and Tennessee.
Players Mentioned
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