There's some moaning and groaning about the first two exhibition volleyball matches from Wisconsin fans. Those matches are nowhere to be found on television, and fans continue to have to wait to see their beloved Badgers unless they have tickets. Yet, that is turning, and it's turning quickly. This season has the most amount of primetime and nationally televised games for Wisconsin volleyball ever.
Last season, the Badgers had 16 nationally televised matches, but this year, it's up to 19. In fact, Wisconsin fans will barely ever have to figure out where BIG+ is or any other random subscription service. There are only eight of these matches. While there are 19 other matches found on regular and national networks. Including 10 that are on main channels and will be featured matches for volleyball fans around the country.
The other good news is that to start the season, the games are all over the top channels. Wisconsin's first match that counts is against No. 3 Kentucky on ESPN. This is followed up by No. 7 Louisville on FOX (won't even need cable for this one). Then it's No. 5 Stanford on ESPN2 with No. 4 Pitt on ESPN in the next match. It's two consecutive FS1 matches after Pitt.
The first time that Wisconsin fans may need to figure out where the match is will be when the Badgers take on No. 8 Texas A&M, but that's only cause it's on a channel Badger fans aren't used to, with the SEC Network.
It's really not until the match against Milwaukee that there's bad news, and Wisconsin fans will need to subscribe to BIG+ or get tickets to the match. That's 9 matches into the season. Yet, then Badger fans are hit with a back-to-back BIG+ match as Oregon is also on the subscription service.
Badgers on primetime! pic.twitter.com/8hj9Vhn2Q8
— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) August 13, 2026
Wisconsin volleyball is set for a roller-coaster ride to start the season
Related: AVCA rankings reveal just how brutal No. 6 Wisconsin volleyball’s 2026 schedule is
The television is following high-level volleyball. The Badgers are literally playing every other top-10 team in the preseason AVCA rankings. The non-conference schedule has to be the hardest in the country. The Badgers aren't shying away from any competition and will battle anyone and everyone.
This could set the Badgers up for quite the roller-coaster start to the season. Sure, the optimists are imagining a scenario where Wisconsin beats up on all these teams and is sitting at No. 1 in the polls and doesn't have a blemish on its record. The pessimistic could imagine a scenario where it upsets everything, as the team is young and not ready for such a high-level start to the season.
The reality is that it will probably be somewhere in the middle. There will be some bumps against these teams but also some huge wins to stack on the resume. For volleyball fans around the country, the television schedule and the fact that Kelly Sheffield is ready to play any team is huge news, and the Badgers will be a featured team all season.
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