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 - Dec XX
The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship bracket will be announced the Sunday before the first round of competition.
First & Second Rounds - Dec XX
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.