LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV Rebels volleyball team will open the 2026 season against five-time national champion Nebraska and TCU in the Players Era Volleyball Showcase on Friday, August 28 and Sunday, August 30, respectively, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Start times, TV and ticket information will be announced at a later date. Texas is also among the four teams in the event.
"It's an honor for our program to be invited to compete in the inaugural Players Era Elite Volleyball Championship," said head coach Malia Shoji. "To say our team, staff and program are excited would be an understatement. Coming off one of the strongest spring seasons we've had, this group is eager for the opportunity to test itself against some of the best programs in the country. Now, we need Rebel Nation behind us. Let's pack T-Mobile Arena and help us take on Nebraska and TCU during opening weekend. Volleyball's incredible rise in popularity aligns perfectly with Las Vegas' emergence as a global sports destination. Bringing those two together is going to create a special atmosphere and an event fans won't want to miss."
UNLV leads the all-time series against TCU, 12-5, with TCU being a former member of the Mountain West Conference, having left after the 2011 campaign to join the Big 12. Moreover, this will be the first meeting between the Rebels and Horned Frogs since the 2011 season, and the first all-time meeting between UNLV and Nebraska.
Players Era, a subsidiary of EverWonder Studio, was founded in 2024 to create a more equitable model for college sports that centers around valuing the players and expanding global fandom through the creation of first-of-their-kind world-class events.
Featuring a pair of must-see doubleheaders, the first day of competition will see perennial national championship contender Nebraska face UNLV, while national championship hopeful Texas will play TCU. Day two will be headlined by one of the best early season matchups on the schedule when Nebraska takes on Texas, a clash of two rivals coming off trips to the 2025 NCAA Tournament regional finals, while TCU will face UNLV. For Nebraska and Texas, it will be their first meeting in nearly three years, since the 2023 NCAA Championship match.
With the Players Era Volleyball Showcase, Players Era is creating another premier early season event that delivers the excitement of post-season play and establishes trends and storylines that will define the season. The event also will feature a total of $1 million in NIL opportunities for participating teams. Last year's Nebraska squad finished the regular season undefeated before advancing to the NCAA Regional final where it fell in five sets, in what was the most-watched Regional Final in history, peaking at 1.6 million viewers.
