NCAA beach volleyball championships 2026 bracket, schedule, TV channel, live streams for college tournament

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As the weather warms up, it's time to play some beach volleyball. The 2026 NCAA championships return to Gulf Shores this week.

Started in 2016, the NCAA championships serve as a competitive end to the collegiate season for 16 programs every year. Southern California schools have typically reigned supreme in this tournament, with USC holding six titles, and UCLA snagging two in 2018-19.

Last year, TCU bucked the trend by defeating LMU 3-2 in the championship match and bringing the trophy to Texas. The Horned Frogs entered the bracket as a No. 2 seed, and fought past Loyola Marymount, which had beaten both UCLA and USC in the earlier rounds.

This year, Stanford holds the No. 1 spot, followed by Texas and UCLA. Who will win it all?

Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 NCAA beach volleyball championships, including TV channel and streaming options for the annual tournament.

NCAA beach volleyball championships 2026 bracket, schedule

For just the fourth year, the NCAA beach volleyball tournament will be single-elimination, rather than using an elimination bracket. So once a team loses a match, they're out.

After expanding to a 17-team playoff in 2024, the NCAA has reverted to its original 16-team format, without a play-in dual.

Friday, May 1: First round