Badgers volleyball featured on national TV 18 times, including twice on NBC

NBC is airing college volleyball for the first time this fall.

Wisconsin celebrates the save during the third set of the NCAA Regional Volleyball Finals match against Oregon on Saturday December 9, 2023, at the UW Field House in Madison, Wis. / Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Fans shouldn’t have any issues catching the Badgers volleyball team on TV this season. 

The Badgers will be featured on national television 18 times this season, including two matches that will be televised on NBC, which is airing college volleyball for the first time in the network's history.

Last season, the Badgers were featured in the first college volleyball match ever aired on FOX, which will carry two more Badgers matches this year. Twelve regular-season matches will be on Big Ten Network and ESPN2 and FS1 will each carry one Badgers volleyball match. 

“This year NBC will be hosting their first college matches and to be on their network a couple of times is an absolute game-changer,” coach Kelly Sheffield said in a statement. “Also, to have a match on FS1 and ESPN2 just broadens the reach and (we) are excited to be in their networks — and once again to have BTN leading the way in our sport and having 12 of our matches on their network is awesome. Last year saw record numbers watching our sport in person and on television. I totally expect us to blow those numbers out of the water this upcoming season.”

The first match on FOX — against rival Minnesota — drew 1.6 million viewers last season. 

The Badgers’ first match of the season — against Louisville in the AVCA First Serve Showcase — at 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 27 will be featured on ESPN2. Their next two games — against Texas and Stanford in the Women’s College Volleyball Showcase — will be nationally televised on FOX. 

NBC will carry two conference matchups against Purdue on Oct. 26 and Penn State on Nov. 9.