Just hours before the University of Wisconsin women’s volleyball squad takes on the Texas Longhorns at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fl., in the penultimate contest of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament, Fiserv Forum announced a tournament in the Badgers own backyard, Milwaukee, Wis.
Taking place Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1-2, 2024, the UW will be joined by its Final Four counterpart, the University of Texas, as well as 2023 Elite Eight finalist Stanford Cardinal and a familiar rival, the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first-ever Women’s College Volleyball Showcase.
The tournament expects to bring fans from all over the county to Milwaukee to witness championship-caliber volleyball during the long weekend, with many expected to make the short 79-mile trip from Madison to support the Badgers.
The Women’s College Volleyball Showcase arrives in the Good Land just a year after the Marquette University Golden Eagles and the University of Wisconsin Badgers faced off in a stunning, record-setting affair. The match brought 17,037 fans to the arena in the heart of downtown Milwaukee, surpassing the Badgers’ previous 16,833 at the Kohl Center, once again rewriting the record books for NCAA women’s volleyball regular-season indoor match attendance.
"There is an obvious growing appetite for the sport of volleyball, evidenced by roaring attendance numbers and record-breaking television ratings. It will be an incredible sight to help further amplify the sport with an elite early-season showcase on network television," said Mark Starsiak, vice president at Intersport. "We're fortunate to have an eager partner in FOX, four immensely talented programs with passionate fan bases, a world-class host venue in Fiserv Forum and the support of the American Volleyball Coaches Association to carve an incredible foundation for this event that we envision as a staple on the college volleyball calendar for years to come."
The four programs participating in this showcase have established themselves as the class of women's volleyball over the years, combining for 13 national championships, 17 runner-up finishes and 48 Final Four appearances. The teams have combined to win four of the last five national championships and at least one of the four programs has appeared in the Final Four annually since 2012.
Additional details regarding the inaugural event, including sponsors, match times, ticket information and more will be available at a later date. Fans interested in receiving email alerts regarding these updates can register at www.fiservforum.com/events/detail/volleyball.
