The 2026 Big West Beach Volleyball Championship shifts to the Central Coast, with the conference’s seven programs set to compete at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex on the campus of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif., on April 23-24.
The winner of the conference title will earn the league’s automatic berth into the National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship. The Championship continues with its two-day format, opening with modified pool play on Thursday before advancing to a six-team single-elimination bracket on Friday. Six teams will move on to Day 2, where a champion will be crowned.
Seeding for the Championship was determined using a mathematical index that takes into account both institutional and opponent winning percentages. The final numbers yielded a highly competitive field, with sixth-nationally ranked and host-site Cal Poly earning the No. 1 seed. Long Beach State, listed in 10th in the most recent AVCA Coaches Poll, is the No. 2 seed followed by third-seeded and 16th-ranked Hawai’i rounding out the top three teams. UC Davis secured the fourth seed, while CSUN sits at No. 5. Sacramento State and Cal State Bakersfield claim the final two positions at Nos. 6 and 7, respectively.
Thursday’s action is divided into two pools. Pool A features Cal Poly, CSUN, and UC Davis competing in a round-robin format, with all three squads advancing. Pool B includes Hawai’i, Long Beach State, Cal State Bakersfield, and Sacramento State, with three teams earning spots in the bracket following a full slate that includes an elimination match.
Pool play begins at 11:30 a.m. with Cal Poly facing CSUN, followed by Hawai’i vs. Sacramento State and Long Beach State vs. Cal State Bakersfield. The day continues with UC Davis vs. CSUN, two decisive Pool B matchups, and concludes with Cal Poly vs. UC Davis at 7:00 p.m.
Friday’s bracket features crossover matchups between second- and third-place finishers, while both pool winners earn semifinal byes. The winners will meet in the championship dual at 3:15 p.m. From there, the victor punches their respective ticket to the 2026 NC Beach Volleyball Championship.
The selection show for the 2026 Championship will air live on ncaa.com on Sunday, April 24 at 10 a.m. PT. The Championship will begin on Friday, May 1 with first-round matches and continue through the championship on Sunday, May 3 at Gulf Place in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The 2026 NC beach volleyball championship bracket consists of 16 teams, with eight making it as automatic qualifiers via conference championships. All selected teams are seeded Nos. 1-16 in the bracket.
Last season, Long Beach State captured its second Big West title with a 3-1 victory over Cal Poly in the Championship Final. Since 2016, only Hawai’i (2016, 2017, 2018, 2024), Cal Poly (2019, 2021, 2022), and Long Beach State (2023, 2025) have claimed the conference crown, setting up another tightly contested race in San Luis Obispo.
For full event details, including schedule and live coverage links, visit the 2026 Championship Central page.
2026 Big West Beach Volleyball Championship
Day 1 | Pool Play | Thursday, April 23
Match 1 – 11:30 a.m. | Pool A: No. 1 seed Cal Poly vs. No. 5 seed CSUN
Match 2 – 12:45 p.m. | Pool B: No. 3 seed Hawai’i vs. No. 6 seed Sacramento State
Match 3 – 2:00 p.m. | Pool B: No. 2 seed Long Beach State vs. No. 7 seed Cal State Bakersfield
Match 4 – 3:15 p.m. | Pool A: No. 4 seed UC Davis vs. No. 5 seed CSUN
Match 5 – 4:30 p.m. | Pool B: Match 2 Winner vs. Match 3 Winner
Match 6 – 5:45 p.m. | Pool B: Match 2 Loser vs. Match 3 Loser
Match 7 – 7:00 p.m. | Pool A: No. 1 seed Cal Poly vs. No. 4 seed UC Davis
Day 2 | Bracket Play | Friday, April 24
Playing to clinch
Match 8 – 10:00 a.m. | Pool B Second Seed vs. Pool A Third Seed
Match 9 – 11:15 a.m. | Pool A Second Seed vs. Pool B Third Seed
Match 10 – 12:30 p.m. | Pool A First Seed vs. Match 8 Winner
Match 11 – 1:45 p.m. | Pool B First Seed vs. Match 9 Winner
Match 12 – 3:15 p.m. | Championship Match