When does the 2025 college volleyball season start?

It's time for teams the 2025 college volleyball season. After Penn State hoisted its eighth national championship in 2024, the 2025 season will see who's next to map out a road to the top. 

You can find information on when the 2025 college volleyball season starts here.This article will be updated if games and times are changed. 

When does the 2025 college volleyball season start?

The 2025 season begins with the AVCA First Serve Showcase from Friday, Aug. 22 to Monday, Aug. 25. This year, the field has more than doubled from last year to now 10 teams and will use two different venues this season. 

Click or tap here for the full season-long schedule and scores. Here are the matches scheduled for the showcase from Friday, Aug. 22 to Monday, Aug. 25:

2025 AVCA First Serve Showcase

• Friday, Aug. 22 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, NE:
  • Pittsburgh vs. Nebraska | 7 p.m. ET | FOX
  • Florida vs. Stanford | 9 p.m. ET | FOX
• Saturday, Aug. 23 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, NE:
  • Kansas vs. Vanderbilt | 3 p.m. ET | FS1
    Creighton vs. Penn State | 5 p. m. ET | FS1
• Sunday, Aug. 24at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, NE:
  • Florida vs. Pittsburgh | 1 p.m. ET | ESPN
  • Stanford vs. Nebraska | 3:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
• August 25, 2025 at Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD:
  • Kansas vs. Penn State | 6:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network
  • Minnesota vs. Texas A&M | 8:30 p.m. ET | Big Ten Network

Last year, the 2024 AVCA First Serve was an electrifying opener to the season at KFC Yum! Center, foreshadowing what was to come four months later at the same venue of the national championship. Two of the four teams competing there in August, Nebraska and Louisville, returned to the arena in December for the NCAA tournament’s semifinals round. 

OFFSEASON MOVES: Recapping the 2025 college volleyball transfer portal

A week later marks the start of the season for most volleyball teams, featuring a boatload of invitationals and classics across the country.

Below are which showcases, classics or invitationals that feature the final 16 teams from the 2024 NCAA tournament held from Friday, Aug. 29 to Monday, Sept. 1:

• Opening Spike Classic - Kohl Center in Madison, WI
  • Friday, Aug. 29
    • Kansas vs. Wisconsin | 7 p.m. ET
    • Creighton vs. Texas | 9:30 p.m. ET
  • Sunday, Aug. 31
    • Wisconsin vs. Texas | 2 p.m. ET
    • Creighton vs. Kansas | 4:30 p.m. ET
• LUV Invitational - Allen Arena in Nashville, TN
  • Friday, Aug. 29
    • Nebraska vs. Lipscomb | 7 p.m. ET
  • Saturday, Aug. 30
    • Kentucky vs. Lipscomb | 3 p.m. ET
  • Sunday, Aug. 31
    • Seton Hall vs. Lipscomb | 3 p.m. ET
• Cardinal Classic - L&N Federal Credit Union Arena in Louisville, KY
  • Friday, Aug. 29
    • Morehead State vs. St. John's
  • Saturday, Aug. 30
    • Auburn vs. Morehead State
  • Sunday, Aug. 31
    • St. John's vs. Auburn | 12 p.m. ET
    • Louisville vs. Morehead State | 2 p.m. ET
    • Louisville vs. Auburn | 7 p.m. ET
  • Monday, Sept. 1
    • St. John's vs. Louisville | 3 p.m. ET 
• EVEN Hotel Bobcat Invite - Shroyer Gymnasium in Bozeman, MT
  • Friday, Aug. 29
    • Oregon vs. South Dakota | 6 p.m. ET
    • Prairie View A&M vs. Montana State | 9 p.m. ET
  • Saturday, Aug. 30 
    • Prairie View A&M vs. Oregon | 4 p.m. ET
    • South Dakota vs. Montana State | 7 p.m. ET
  • Sunday, Aug. 31
    • South Dakota State vs. Prairie View A&M | 1 p.m. ET
    • Oregon vs. Montana State | 4 p.m. ET
• Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Classic - SimpliFi Arena in Honolulu, HI
  • Friday, Aug 29
    • San Diego vs. Utah State | 10:45 p.m. ET
    • Marquette vs. Hawaii | 1 a.m. ET (next day)
  • Saturday, Aug. 30 
    • San Diego vs. Marquette | 10:45 p.m. ET
    • Hawaii vs. Utah State | 1 a.m. ET (next day)
  • Sunday, Aug. 31
    • Marquette vs. Utah State | 8:45 p.m. ET
    • San Diego vs. Hawaii | 11 p.m. ET
• Rice Invitational - Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston, TX
  • Friday, Aug. 29
    • Texas A&M vs. Rice | 7 p.m. ET
  • Saturday, Aug. 30
    • Central Arkansas vs. Texas A&M | TBA
  • Sunday, Aug. 31
    • Rice vs. Central Arkansas | 2 p.m. ET
• Utah Tournament - Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, UT
  • Friday, Aug. 29
    • Dayton vs. Washington State 
    • Washington State vs. Lafayette
    • Utah vs. Dayton | 9 p.m. ET
  • Saturday, Aug. 30
    • Utah vs. Lafayette | 1 p.m. ET
    • Washington State vs. Dayton | 3 p.m. ET 
    • Dayton vs. Lafayette | 5 p.m. ET
  • Sunday, Aug. 31 
    • Utah vs. Washington State | 2 p.m. ET
• Broadway Block Party - Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN
  • Sunday, Aug. 31
    • Nebraska vs. Kentucky | 12 p.m. ET 
    • Purdue vs. Tennessee | 2:30 p.m. ET
    • Illinois vs. Vanderbilt | 5 p.m. ET 
• State Farm Women's College Volleyball Showcase - PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
  • Sunday, Aug. 31
    • Pitt vs. TCU | 2 p.m. ET 
    • Penn State vs. Arizona State | 5 p.m. ET
  • Monday, Sept. 1
    • Penn State vs. TCU | 5 p.m. ET
    • Pitt vs. Arizona State | 7:30 p.m. ET

Some other early-season nonconference games to watch can be found below:

• Sunday, Sept. 7
  • Stanford at Texas
• Wednesday, Sept. 10
  • Texas vs. Louisville
• Friday, Sept. 12
  • Louisville at Creighton
• Tuesday, Sept. 16
  • Creighton vs. Nebraska 
• Wednesday, Sept. 17
  • Penn State vs. Pitt
• Thursday, Sept. 18
  • Louisville vs. Kentucky

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2025 Division I volleyball tournament schedule

• Selection Show: Sunday, Nov. 30 
• First & Second Rounds: Thursday - Saturday, Dec. 4-6
• Regionals: Thursday - Sunday, Dec. 11-14
• Semifinals: Thursday, Dec. 18 in Kansas City, MO 
• National Championship: Sunday, Dec. 21 in Kansas City, MO

The semifinals and title game will be played at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. This will mark the first time since 2017 that Kansas City has hosted the DI volleyball finals and the second time overall.

🏆: Complete college volleyball championship history | Schools with the most titles

Future national championship locations and dates