The Road to the Championship
National Participation
There are 344 NCAA member institutions that sponsor Division I Women’s Volleyball teams and most are eligible to compete in the National Championship. The 344 programs support over 5,500 Women’s Volleyball student-athletes across the country.
Selection Process
The 2026 Division I Women’s Volleyball championship will provide a field of 64 teams to compete in a single elimination tournament. Of the 64 teams, 31 teams receive automatic qualification while the remaining 33 teams will be selected on an at-large basis by the Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee.
Selection Show - Nov. 29
The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship bracket will be announced the Sunday before the first round of competition.
First & Second Rounds - Dec. 3-5
First and second round competition will be held at non-predetermined campus sites. Teams will compete in a single-elimination first round competition. The advancing teams will then compete against each other in single-elimination second round competition. The winning team from each of the 16 second rounds advance to the regional round.
Regionals - Dec. 10-13
Regionals for the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship will also be held at non-predetermined campus sites. Teams will compete in single-elimination regional semifinal competition. The advancing teams then compete against each other in single-elimination regional finals.
National Championship- Dec. 17 & 20
The 2026 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship will be held at Alamodome in San Antonio. The national semifinals will be held on December 17, 2026. The two teams winning in the semifinals will advance and compete in the national championship which will take place December 20, 2026.