IRVINE, Calif. - The Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship game times and television schedule has been set, culminating with the final on ESPNU on April 22, from the Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif.
The six-team championship bracket will feature the nation’s premier men’s volleyball conference, where The Big West currently boasts four teams in the top 15 national rankings: No. 2 Hawai’i, No. 4 Long Beach State, No. 6 UC Irvine and No. 14 CSUN.
First round matches at the 2023 OUTRIGGER Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship, presented by The Hawaiian Islands will take place Thursday, April 20. The No. 4 seed takes on the No. 5 seed at 5 p.m. PT/2 p.m. HT, and the No. 3 seed is pitted against the No. 6 seed at 7:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. HT.
The schedule on Friday, April 21, sees the advancing teams taking on the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, with the games again slated for 5 and 7:30 p.m. PT.
The first two days of the championship will be streamed nationally
on ESPN+, with viewers in Hawai’i able to watch on Spectrum Sports. Produced by Spectrum Sports, Kanoa Leahey will be on the call with Chris McLachlin providing analysis for the four matches.
The championship finale is set for 7:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. HT on ESPNU, serving as the first and only nationally-televised men’s volleyball match prior to the national championship on ESPN platforms in 2023. Paul Sunderland and Kevin Barnett will be on the call from Irvine. Both Team USA Men’s Volleyball Olympians, Sunderland will handle play-by-play duties with Barnett providing analysis. The duo was also behind the mic for the 2022 Men’s Volleyball National Collegiate Championship match which aired on ESPN2.
“Showcasing the sport of men’s volleyball to a national television audience for the first time in 2023 will keep the sport growing and is sure to expand the passionate fanbase,” remarked Big West Associate Commissioner for Championships, Alex Penewell. “To be able to highlight our top teams as they vie for a conference championship and a potential fifth straight national championship for The Big West is exciting. Like last year, we hope our championship sets up a preview of the national championship match on May 6.”
The Big West has dominated the collegiate men’s volleyball landscape since the league began its sponsorship of the sport ahead of the 2018 campaign, laying claim to all four national titles with a pair of consecutive banners for Long Beach State (2018, ’19) and Hawai’i (2021, ’22).
Last year’s Big West Championship match pitted Hawai’i against Long Beach State at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, with the Rainbow Warriors taking the conference title on their home court. Weeks later at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, the two again squared off for the hardware with UH winning back-to-back national championship titles after the All-Big West finale went the way of the ’Bows.
All-session tickets for the 2023 OUTRIGGER Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship, presented by The Hawaiian Islands are
on sale now. All-session pricing is $35 for upper reserved and $50 for lower reserved seating. Single-session tickets will go on sale in April. To learn more about the event, please visit The Big West’s online
Championship Central >>>.
Fans viewing in Hawai’i can watch the first two days on Spectrum Sports. Check local listings and channel guides
here.
Games aired on ESPN platforms are also available on the
ESPN App, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription through an authenticated provider.