Inaugural Big Ten volleyball tournament coming to state that 'really cares about the sport'

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti was among those pushing for the tournament, partly due to revenue, and TV inventory could bring marquee matches to the league's network partners — which have seen more regular-season matches in recent years. Initially, Shondell said, the approval was for it to begin in 2027, but the coaches didn't see a reason to wait. So it will begin in "the perfect venue" Shondell and Aird each said — one that lists a capacity of 7,500.

Purdue and IU met in the annual Monon Spike match at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which drew 6,477 fans — a number far lower due to the match being played the same night as IHSAA sectional semifinals. Shondell is hopeful that fans from both sides of the rivalry will drown out what he called "the Cornhusker effect."

"Indiana is a great volleyball state. Our people are going to come out and support it. We don't want to have an event in Fishers and then look up and see 5,000 Nebraska fans," he said (ticket information to be announced but fans can sign up for notifications at bigten.org/vbtickets). "We need to have Purdue and Indiana fans getting those tickets early and making it a real home-court advantage for the locals."

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The Hoosiers finished last season ranked 13th nationally, capping a historic year, a far cry from when Aird took over a one-win program. He's had top-10 recruiting classes and a still-young team building into a bigger spotlight.

He's also seen the league grow, which created scheduling imbalances due to travel partners. A 20-game slate meant playing three teams twice, and those repeat opponents are not being created equal. So Aird likes the move to a 17-game schedule where teams play each other once, even if it means nine home games one year and eight the next, to then crown a Big Ten champion.

"Because of the imbalance, there were years the team that won the Big Ten wouldn't have to play certain schools on the road, and they would dodge certain matches that were traditionally and historically impossible to win," Aird said. "So, I feel like this might take a little getting used to but in terms of fairness of the macro, I think it is a nice step forward."

Aird said he hopes the semifinals and title are sold out, at a minimum. Shondell believes it will sell out. Each citing the state's proud tradition of volleyball — and how the Indy Ignite have added to that in two seasons, and the Big Ten will head to their homes.

"In terms of the state, there's amazing high school and club coaches in the state, there's a lot of good college programs, I feel like it's the perfect venue in a state in the Midwest that really cares about the sport ... we're proud to host it," Aird said.

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A Big Ten source said the Indiana Sports Corp. will be involved with the event. The Sports Corp. included in its 2050 vision that it wanted Indianapolis to be "the women's sports capital of the world." The city made waves as men's Final Four host last week, has the 2028 women's basketball Final Four before the men's event returns in 2029.

"In selecting a venue for the inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament, the conference prioritized a location and facility that could offer a great experience for our student-athletes, universities and fans," the Big Ten told IndyStar. "We will collaborate closely with the Indiana Sports Corp and Fishers Event Center in the coming months to create an outstanding event for all."

And should it exceed expectations, perhaps they'll see it move downtown to the larger Gainbridge Fieldhouse like it's basketball counterparts. Success could even lead to the women's volleyball Final Four one day.

Aaron Ferguson is a sports editor at IndyStar, overseeing coverage of college sports, the Indiana Fever and IndyCar.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Big Ten volleyball tournament date, time announced: How Fishers became host