The 2026 NCAA beach volleyball tournament gets underway Friday at Gulf Place in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Every point in the 16-team, single-elimination tournament will be broadcast across ESPN networks.
Defending champion and 10th-seeded TCU looks to win its second straight national title. The Horned Frogs' climb to the top in 2025 ended USC's four-year run as national champions.
Here are key facts about the tournament:
How can fans watch?
Fans can catch all of the action in the ESPN App and in the NCAA women's beach volleyball streaming hub.
What is the schedule?
*All times Eastern
Friday
10 a.m.: No. 13 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. No. 4 USC on ESPN2
11 a.m.: No. 12 Stetson vs. No. 5 Florida State on ESPN2
Noon: No. 16 Chattanooga vs. No. 1 Stanford on ESPN2
1 p.m.: No. 9 Long Beach State vs. No. 8 California on ESPN2
2 p.m.: No. 15 Georgia State vs. No. 2 Texas on ESPN2
3 p.m.: No. 10 TCU vs. No. 7 Loyola Marymount on ESPN2
4 p.m.: No. 14 Tulane vs. No. 3 UCLA on ESPN2
5 p.m.: No. 11 Grand Canyon vs. 6. Cal Poly
Saturday
10 a.m.: Second-round coverage will begin on ESPN2.
2 p.m.: Semifinal coverage will begin on ESPN2.
Sunday
12:30 p.m.: Championship will kick off on ESPN.
Which teams won the past five NCAA beach volleyball national championships?
2025: TCU
2024: USC
2023: USC
2022: USC
2021: USC
How can fans access more college sports coverage from ESPN?
Check out the ESPN college sports hub page for the scores, rankings and more.
